Prisons: facilities for female offenders.

Assembly Member Quirk-Silva's prison reform legislation proposes a fundamental restructuring of California's female correctional system through the creation of a dedicated Division of Female Programs and Services within the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The new division would assume sole responsibility for female adult institutions and community facilities, operating under a director with at least five years of expertise in female corrections.

The bill establishes a Gender Responsive Strategies Commission comprising community organizations, researchers, legislators, union representatives, and formerly incarcerated women. This commission would meet quarterly to develop partnerships between community stakeholders, treatment experts, and agencies in implementing gender-responsive practices. The legislation also mandates regular updates to the Female Offender Reform Master Plan, with implementation reports due to the Legislature every three years starting March 2026.

Under the proposed changes, the Department would develop specialized classification systems and case management tools for female offenders, while implementing evidence-based rehabilitative programs addressing education, healthcare, mental health, and vocational training. The bill requires the appointment of an ombudsperson specifically for women's facilities and establishes family service coordinators at female-only prisons. All plans, reports, and commission meeting minutes would be publicly accessible on the Department's website, providing transparency in the implementation of these institutional changes.