WATCH: Denver Sheriff's Department Launches Progressive Transgender Inmate Policy

The Denver Sheriff's Department has launched a new policy to aid transgender inmates, which will also save the city money.

"In the State of Colorado, I would say it's very unique," Denver Undersheriff Gary Wilson says. "We believe it was important for us to not just protect the persons from physical harm but also from psychological harm while they're with us inside the jail." The department says it deals with one to three transgender inmates each month.

Courtney Gray, co-chair of the LGBT Community Center of Colorado, says the new policy is about equality."This is definitely the most progressive policy in the state," she says. "Nationally, it's definitely one of the most progressive and comprehensive in the country."

Gray says statistics speak for themselves.

"We know from a recent national survey on the transgender population that 22 percent of folks who have come in contact with law enforcement have been harassed in some way, especially in the jail setting," Gray says. "37 percent of those who have been in the jail setting have experienced harassment from other folks within the jail."

Watch the local news coverage below.