PRESS RELEASE: Secretary Strange Creates Women’s Prison Division

Released July 29, 2021

Contact Jacque Coe (email), (360) 890-0381

Department of Corrections

TUMWATER – Recognizing the need to update and align correctional operations and practices to be more informed by the differences between men and women, the Department of Corrections (DOC) will formally create a Women’s Prison Division within the agency. The move by DOC Secretary Cheryl Strange is intended to strengthen, align, and focus resources specific to genders.

“We know a lot more now than we did years ago when our practices were designed,” says Strange. “Serving the specific needs of women have posed unique challenges for our prison operations and we can change that.”

In creating a Women’s Prison Division, resources, programs, and services can be more tailored to meet the needs of incarcerated women. This move will support the development of a gender responsive focus that will better address the unique needs of our female incarcerated population. A national recruitment effort to identify a leader will be launched.

“I am excited about the ability of the department to implement this change so that our resources and services are more effective in providing support to the incarcerated women in our care and custody. I believe these changes will strengthen, align, and focus the right resources to the changes we need to make to support the success of the men and women in our custody and care.”