Sustainability in Prisons Project
2020 Annual Report

Two incarcerated beekeepers check on the hives at the Stafford Creek Corrections Center. In addition to
wearing their protective beekeeping gear, technicians also wear face masks for protection against COVID19. While many programs were suspended during the pandemic, a few were able to continue after carefulplanning and adaptation to prioritize health and safety. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.

Sustainability in Prisons Project
2020 Annual Report
Contents
Executive Summary: Sustainability in Prisons Project, July 2019-December 2020 ...................................... 3
1. Background Information ........................................................................................................................... 8
SPP Mission ............................................................................................................................................... 8
SPP Vision .................................................................................................................................................. 8
COVID-19 Impact Statement ..................................................................................................................... 8
SPP Staff and Organization Chart .............................................................................................................. 9Advisory Panel ......................................................................................................................................... 11
Staff Development: training, safety and security ................................................................................... 11
2. Partnerships ............................................................................................................................................ 13
Developing Partnerships ......................................................................................................................... 14
SPP Alignment with Evergreen’s Five Foci .............................................................................................. 15
SPP Alignment with WA Corrections’ Mission & Vision .......................................................................... 15
3. Budget ..................................................................................................................................................... 17
4. Environmental Education Programs ....................................................................................................... 19
Environmental Engagement Workshop Series ....................................................................................... 19
Roots of Success ...................................................................................................................................... 22
Beekeeping.............................................................................................................................................. 25
Foundations in Gardening ....................................................................................................................... 30
Academic Credit & Certifications ............................................................................................................ 30
5. Conversation Programs ........................................................................................................................... 32
Conservation Nursery Programs ............................................................................................................. 32
Emergent Pre-Vegetated Mat (EVM) Production ................................................................................... 34
Training and Education, All Conservation Nurseries ............................................................................... 35

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report1Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly (TCB) Program ....................................................................................... 38
Biological Science Programs at LCC and CCCC: Western Pond Turtles, Woodpecker Nest Monitoring,and Aquaponics ....................................................................................................................................... 40
Sheep Conservation Program ................................................................................................................. 43
Composting with “Bugs” ......................................................................................................................... 43
6. Restorative Nature Programs ................................................................................................................. 45
7. Community Contribution Programs ........................................................................................................ 47
Dog and Cat Programs ............................................................................................................................ 47
Reclaim, Repurpose or Restore, and Donate Programs ......................................................................... 49
Community Work Crews ......................................................................................................................... 55
8. Sustainable Operations ........................................................................................................................... 57
Partnerships ............................................................................................................................................ 57
Program Foundations and Planning ........................................................................................................ 58
Vehicle Fuel Use Reductions ................................................................................................................... 58
Energy ..................................................................................................................................................... 59
Water ...................................................................................................................................................... 61
9. Sustainability Job Programs .................................................................................................................... 62
10. Research and Evaluation ....................................................................................................................... 64
SPP-Evergreen Program Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 64
Research with External Partners ............................................................................................................. 64
11. SPP Network.......................................................................................................................................... 66
SPP in Washington State ......................................................................................................................... 66
SPP Nationally and Internationally.......................................................................................................... 66
12. Dissemination ....................................................................................................................................... 70
Presentations .......................................................................................................................................... 70
SPP Tours................................................................................................................................................. 71
Academic Publications, Projects, and Internships .................................................................................. 72
Media Coverage ...................................................................................................................................... 73
Outreach ................................................................................................................................................. 75
Appendix 1. SPP Programs in Washington State Prisons, July 2019 – December 2020 ............................. 79
Appendix 2. SPP Partners and Allies in Washington State Prisons ............................................................. 85
Appendix 3. Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................... 90

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report2

Executive Summary: Sustainability in Prisons Project,
July 2019-December 2020
“We all need to learn to work together, just like the honeybees work together for survival. We humans
need to work together as one to beat COVID-19.”-Incarcerated beekeeper, Yoshio WhiteThis reporting period (July 2019 – December 2020) was marked by many challenges and changes. We
can’t describe our work during this time without first acknowledging the significant, global impacts of
the COVID-19 pandemic. We acknowledge the loss of life and suffering incarcerated individuals, families,
and corrections staff have endured. Human health and safety are our top priority over program
operation. As a result, the vast majority of Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) programs weresuspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are still supporting operation of a few programs, but
only where interactions can be masked, socially distant, primarily outside or in well-ventilated areas,
and with access to proper resources for hand washing and cleaning high touch surfaces. We are hopefulthat pandemic conditions will improve and that we can emerge from this time with improved ability tosupport teaching and learning for an increased number of students.

SPP Beekeeping Liaison, Carrie Hersch, holds a heart-shaped honey comb in a photo taken at a hive cleanup day
at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. Photo by Shohei Morita.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report3Despite these tumultuous times, SPP has maintained our commitment to bringing nature, science, andenvironmental education into prisons. We have adapted our approach as our ability to provide direct
support is limited. Over the past year, we have shifted to working remotely and navigated major staffingchanges resulting in a smaller team available to respond to new education planning and development
needs. During the pandemic, we shifted our focus to developing more peer-led and remote education,
COVID-19 planning, program proposals, process improvements, and policy and guidance documents.
Through these challenges, SPP and the many partners that make our work possible, have demonstrated
resilience, creativity, adaptability, and care. Our work to increase access to empowering sustainability
and environmental education is as relevant as ever.

Former SPP Butterfly Technician, Keegan Curry, wears his mask while helping out in the Taylor’s checkerspot
butterfly program at MCCCW. Photo by Marisa Pushee.

SPP was founded by Washington Department of Corrections (WA Corrections) and The Evergreen State
College (Evergreen) in 2003, and has grown to include many partners. The full SPP annual report aims toacknowledge all contributing partners and describe all science, environmental education, andsustainability programs in WA prisons. It is more challenging to report on our work given the ongoingpandemic as programs are suspended and some contributors simply didn’t have capacity to supply
program information similar to previous years. During this reporting period, SPP partners reported 199

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report4

programs and 179 partner organizations statewide. Our executive summary highlights select programs,
partnerships, and accomplishments as well as goals for the 2021 calendar year:
Peer-led Gardening Curriculum: SPP and partners completed the first phase of curricula development
and launched a new peer-led gardening course at Stafford Creek Corrections Center.
Planning & Organization Improvements: SPP-Evergreen developed multiple process, guidance, andplanning template documents to support creation and curation of education materials, organization
function, effective program operation, and clarity among partners.
Training & Advising: SPP-Evergreen team requested additional anti-racism/anti-oppression education
which was delivered by Evergreen faculty over two days. SPP-Evergreen also hosted a series of advisingsessions throughout the pandemic to learn from former program participants and others with the lived
experience of incarceration.
Beekeeping: SPP-Evergreen staff curated and delivered monthly beekeeping educational packets to all
facilities and helped develop a new scholar-level beekeeping certification in partnership with the
Washington State Beekeeping Association (in progress).
New Asset & Sustainable Operations System: WA Corrections has nearly completed transition to a new
asset and sustainable operations system to track recycling, waste, energy systems, and facility
maintenance. This system will improve reporting and help identify priority projects.
Solar Energy Education: SPP-Evergreen developed a new partnership with Olympia Community
Solar that allows donors to sponsor solar energy education packets to be sent to prison facilities.
Policy & Legislation: With WA Corrections support for the concept, SPP-Evergreen developed proposed
statewide guidelines for successful peer-led programs in prison (review in progress).
SPP-Evergreen staff drafted new Self-Supporting Program policy for the Evergreen State College to grantcollege credit to currently incarcerated students successfully completing SPP certificated internships.
SPP-Evergreen contributed to and testified in support of Washington State House Bill 1044, Pathways to
Post-Secondary Education in Prisons.
Biomass Boiler Project: WA Corrections secured grant funding to replace the outdated and failing fueloil hot water heating systems at Larch Corrections Center with a biomass boiler. The project will reduce
the facility’s net greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 91%, and will provide an example for otheragencies pursuing greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Ecology Education: SPP-Evergreen worked with University of Washington – Tacoma Restoration
Ecology faculty and students to develop education materials on Salish lowland prairie ecology.
SPP Short Film: Former SPP Butterfly Program Coordinator and Evergreen Master of Environmental
Studies Alum, Keegan Curry, completed a short film featuring interviews with former SPP program
participants.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report5

Table 1. Anticipated Programs Highlights, 2021
Program/Project
Adapting & Restarting
Programs; Increasing
Remote Education

Partners and facility
All facilities

Peer-Led Gardening
CourseAll facilities, incarcerated
students, staff sponsors andexperts

Peer-Led Composting
CourseAll facilities, incarcerated
students, staff sponsors andexperts

Training & guidance toincrease access to fresh
produce in prisons

All facilities

Expanding Evergreen
Education in Prisons

Plan & pilot

Developing Statewide
Resources

All facilities and partners

Certifications andacademic credit

All facilities and academic
partners

Planned outcomes
Adapting program operation & developing plans
for safe restart & operation; increasing
opportunities for remote education
Enhance gardening curriculum with practicum,
more modules on advanced topics & incorporating
input from pilot; support start-up of new programsin other prisons
Working from education content developed for asingle facility, develop a peer-led compostingcourse for statewide use
Identify education & training on preparing produce
for kitchen use; work with partners to develop
statewide guidance on increased access to fresh
produce; consider apprenticeship & certificates
Work with partners to propose expansion of
established SPP programs to include other
Evergreen education services in prisons
Work w/partners to complete peer-led education
policy for DOC & partnership resource document
for partner orgs & DOC
Award academic credit to currently incarcerated
SPP certificated internship students“Being able to connect with nature in this way, there’s a therapeutic component that comes into that.
The science part is your mind working, but the nature part is your body connecting to nature. When you
have those two components merged together, you’re working as a whole.”– Formerly incarcerated partner and Evergreen State College graduate, Carolina Landa

Conclusion
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to SPP during these challenging times. Your support,
continued investment, and dedication to this work are much appreciated. This year has proved ourresiliency and only strengthened our dedication to empowering environmental and sustainability
education for incarcerated students. Our partnerships among incarcerated people, corrections staff,
scientists, students, and program partners are impactful, innovative, challenging, and successful. We arededicated to learning, adapting, and continuous improvement. We remain committed to addressing all
stakeholders’ needs. We aim to foster a culture of mutual respect, combine resources to increase
capacity, and prioritize education and training. Together we are supporting positive change forindividuals, communities, and ecosystems.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

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“I’m excited to see more programs, and we need more programs like that. We need individuals to feelvalidated, to feel like they’re successful, to have knowledge, and to gain a skill. That’s how we’re going tochange.”– Formerly incarcerated partner, Liz Louie

A Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly rests on top of a flower in the wild. Photo by SPP Staff.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report7

1. Background Information
This report provides information on Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) activities from July 1, 2019
through December 31, 2020. Washington Department of Corrections (WA Corrections) considers all
sustainability initiatives in Washington (WA) prisons to be part of the SPP partnership regardless ofwhich partner(s) leads and operates the program. The primary objective of this document is to update
all collaborators and stakeholders on SPP programs and activities. This report represents the mostcomplete information available with current reporting mechanisms.
Scientists, incarcerated people, students, prison staff, and community partners in all 12 Washington
prisons work together to change lives and make positive contributions to people and the environment.
During this reporting period, partners reported 199 programs and 179 partner organizations. Working
lists of all SPP-WA programs (Appendix 1) and partners (Appendix 2) are included to recognize theimpressive diversity and number of opportunities offered. Appendix 3 lists common abbreviations.

SPP Mission
The Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) is a partnership founded by WA Corrections and The
Evergreen State College (Evergreen). Our mission is to empower sustainable change by bringing nature,science, and environmental education into prisons.

SPP Vision
In response to the dual crises of ecological degradation and mass incarceration, we aim to reduce
recidivism while improving human well-being and ecosystem health. SPP brings together incarcerated
individuals, scientists, corrections staff, students, and program partners to promote education, conserve
biodiversity, practice sustainability, and help build healthy communities. Together, we reduce theenvironmental, economic, and human costs of prisons.

COVID-19 Impact Statement
The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had unprecedented and global impacts. These
impacts have been especially hard for the people living and working in prisons. Those of us working with
SPP acknowledge the loss of life and suffering experienced by incarcerated people, their families, andcorrections staff. Our thoughts are with our fellow humans everywhere.
The health and safety of SPP staff, incarcerated people, and WA Corrections staff is our top priority.
Therefore, COVID-19 required that we make significant changes to the implementation of SPP programs,
especially taking into consideration the extreme impact that the virus can have in a carceralenvironment. In line with the Washington State Governor’s Stay Home-Stay Healthy proclamations, SPPEvergreen suspended most facility programs. We developed and implemented plans to follow the
Healthy Washington-Roadmap to Recovery requirements at WA Corrections facilities and SPP-Evergreen

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report8during Phase 2-4 work activities. For the limited programs continuing with SPP-Evergreen involvement,
facility operation plans were developed by the team, including incarcerated participants, corrections
staff, and other partners. The only SPP programs that were able to continue are restricted to
outdoor/open air locations, socially-distanced interaction between masked SPP staff, incarcerated
participants, and corrections staff and where there is access to proper resources for hand washing andcleaning of high touch surfaces. Even for these few in-person programs, SPP-Evergreen staff significantly
reduced our visits to facilities to further reduce risk and allow time for required planning andadaptation.
Given limited in-person programming, providing access to meaningful and uplifting educational
materials that students can work on independently, seemed important in supporting their wellbeing andcontinued education. To this end, SPP transitioned to developing and providing remote education
content for many of our programs. As we increase remote education resources, we are working tosatisfy our longer-term goal of determining the most effective method of dissemination to increase
access to these educational materials and to identify the most effective ways to support and interact
with incarcerated students and educators. We continue to work with WA Corrections and other partners
to explore the use of technologies to increase student access to education.
As a team, we are continually processing the overall health and safety impacts of COVID-19 and loss of
in-person interaction with students, partners, and our small team at Evergreen. Despite thesechallenges, we are hopeful for better horizons.

SPP Staff and Organization Chart

Figure 1. SPP Organizational Chart

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

9The organization chart in Figure 1 includes staff
as of December 2020. This chart is limited tocore staff at WA Corrections and Evergreen (SPPEvergreen); there are many more corrections,academic, conservation, and community
organization staff contributing to program
success. During this reporting period, SPP
continued to be co-directed by Kelli Bush from
Evergreen and Steve Sinclair from WA
Corrections. Rob Herzog, Julie Vanneste, Chris
Idso, Jeremy Barclay, and Loretta Taylor also
serve as advisors to SPP-Evergreen on
corrections operations. SPP leadership typicallymeets quarterly, but adjusted our scheduleduring the pandemic. Former SPP Co-Directorand Evergreen faculty member, Carri LeRoycontinues to play a critical role in overseeing SPP
program certificates. Numerous other Evergreen Joslyn Rose Trivett releasing an Oregon spotted frog in
personnel contribute to SPP including but not
2015. Photo by SPP Staff.
limited to Tina Pearson, James Jackson, David
McAvity, Karen Gaul, and George Bridges.
The SPP-Evergreen team experienced many changes during this reporting period, which included saying
goodbye to long-time staff member, Joslyn Rose Trivett. Joslyn made many significant and enduringcontributions to the organization during her time with SPP. We deeply appreciate her work and wish her
the very best.
Program Coordinator positions are staffed by Evergreen graduate students working 20 hours per week.
Student-staff are typically recruited from the Evergreen Master of Environmental Studies graduate
programs, and work for two-year terms. Each summer, several students complete their work with SPP
and train new students to take over their positions. During this reporting period, as program
coordinators transitioned out of their roles, many of those positions were not rehired due to temporary
program suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the reporting period, 14 Program
Coordinators worked for SPP: Bethany Shepler, Keegan Curry, Jacob Meyers, Marisa Pushee, Graham
Klag, Erica Benoit, Anna Duron, Carly Rose, Allison Campbell, Shohei Morita, Erika Larson, Carly Boyd,
Savannah Richard, and Sarah Larson. As of December 2020, SPP currently staffs four student coordinator
positions.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report10A photo collage card put together by the SPP team to say happy holidays to our partners. The individuals
pictured here represent the full SPP team as of December 2020. Pictured from left to right: Savannah Richard,
Sarah Larson, Kelli Bush, Erica Benoit, Carly Boyd, Carl Elliot, and Shohei Morita.

Advisory Panel
The Advisory Panel provides expertise, creative thinking, advice, and assistance with SPP initiatives andprogram development. During this reporting period, SPP did not convene a meeting of our Advisory
Panel. Instead, we regularly consulted individuals to advise and guide our work during this challenging
time. We frequently consulted previously incarcerated people, SPP co-founders, faculty, and leadershipof multiple organizations. The guidance provided was critical and very valuable as we worked to address
safety issues and continually adapt to changing circumstances. In the 2021 calendar year, SPP plans toreconvene and restructure our advisory panel. As in previous years, panel members will include
formerly incarcerated partners, corrections staff, conservation specialists, and education professionals.

Staff Development: training, safety, and security
Programs are operated in compliance with WA Corrections safety and security rules, SPP-Evergreen
protocols for working in the prison environment, and partner protocols for work with plants andanimals. Please see the COVID-19 Recognition section above and specific program sections to learn
more about adjustments made in response to COVID-19.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report11All SPP-Evergreen staff complete required WA Corrections training. Security is a topic included on every
SPP-Evergreen staff meeting agenda, which are held every two weeks. SPP-Evergreen staff havemaintained our commitment to be adaptable to changing security needs including information
technology, research, and facility operations. Posted below are the trainings SPP-Evergreen staff
completed during this reporting period.
Table 2. SPP-Evergreen Staff Training
Hours/Staff
PersonName of Training

Trainer

Description

WA Corrections: Security
Training

Michele Bourne &WCC Training staff

Security Mindset, Staff Professionalism,
Tactical Verbal Skills, Federal Prison Rape
Elimination Act (PREA)

8

WA Corrections: Security
Training

Online; Annual
requirement

PREA Training

2

COVID-19 Safety Training

Online; SPP staff

Evergreen & WA Corrections COVID-19
Training & Safe Reentry Planning;
discussing twice monthly

20(ongoing)

Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression
Training

Prita Lal & Alice
NelsonAnti-Oppression and Critical Race Theory

10

SPP-Evergreen: Working in
Prisons

Online; all SPP staff

Training utilizing common scenarios
encountered by SPP staff working inprisons

8

SPP-Evergreen: Transformative
Justice

Joslyn Trivett,
w/SPP-Evergreen
staff

Facilitated discussion introducing
principles & practice of restorative
justice4

Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity

James JacksonEvergreen Coalition & Justice Involved
Student Group; collaboration to bringeducation inside prisons

1.5

Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity

Nicole Alexander

Re-entry support for justice involved
people; COVID-19 response & educationin prisons1

Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity

Stephen Allgoewer

Peer-led education & programs during
COVID-19 restrictions

1

Washington State Office ofCorrections Ombuds

Carolina Landa

Ombuds Office processes in Corrections& SPP response to COVID

1

New Employee Orientation

Erica Benoit
w/other SPPEvergreen staff

Welcome to SPP, Program
Operation/Admin, Communication, &Time Management

8

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report122. Partnerships“If DOC and SPP continue to grow this relationship, there will be huge impacts on peoples’ futures, andnot only people who go home; there’s other people who never get to get out. So, if you can reach thoseguys in there too, that’s good too.”– Formerly incarcerated partner, Brian Bedilion
Partnerships and collaboration are an essential component of SPP efforts and nearly every SPP program.
We continually work to identify new partners and mutually beneficial programs. A working list of SPP
partnerships is included as Appendix 2; during this reporting period, more than 179 different
organizations contributed to SPP programs in WA.
At the program level, the founding partners are often joined by one or more additional partners whobring vital expertise, resources and/or skills to the program. We aim to recognize each partner for theirrole and the program “belongs” to all. Figure 2 offers an illustration.

Figure 2. SPP generalized program structure.
Roles played by each partner vary to fit program focus and needs. In general, WA Corrections andpartner organizations provide primary leadership for Sustainable Operations and Community
Contribution programs, and SPP-Evergreen leads Environmental Education and Ecological Conservation
programs. However, input and expertise from all stakeholders (including incarcerated individuals) is
critical to program success—the partnership is the program!
SPP is continually investing in new partnerships. In the coming year are exploring several newconnections to increase access to nature, science, and environmental education. We aim to learn from,

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

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grow with, celebrate, and share our experience with collaborators in order to better serve currently andpreviously incarcerated people. Working collectively, we are much more likely to create positive change!

Developing Partnerships
We are grateful to have so many wonderful partners! Much of the work we do with collaborators ishighlighted in various sections throughout this report. A few notable collaborations we cultivated during
this reporting period are briefly described below.
Partnership for Career Pathways within State Agencies
SPP has continued to partner with WA Dept. of Transportation, WA Corrections, and other organizations
to identify opportunities to build education and employment pathways and remove barriers to state
employment. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, partners were planning to launch another workshop
series, reaching out to new collaborators, and building a coalition charter. Most planning activities weresuspended as all contributors necessarily focused on impacts of COVID-19. In Fall of 2020, partners met
again and revised plans in order to advance goals under COVID-19 conditions. Focus over the coming
months will be on developing education and outreach resources to support incarcerated people incompeting for state employment, supporting state hiring managers as second chance employers, anddeveloping remote workshop/education materials.
Olympia Community Solar
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Olympia Community Solar staff presented at SCCC as part of SPP’s
Environmental Workshop Series; they described the experience as impactful. In November 2020,
Olympia Community Solar staff approached SPP about donating packets of solar energy educationmaterials to incarcerated people in prisons throughout Washington. They identified the most relevantbooks, developed a fundraising campaign, and solicited donations through their web and social media
sites. SPP staff assisted with planning and reached out to Corrections leadership and facility staff todirect donations to sustainability program areas. In Spring 2021, packages including 5 books, manuals,
and certification guides plus 4 editions of a solar energy magazine, are being donated to six prisons. We
look forward to continued partnership with Olympia Community Solar.
University of Washington Tacoma: Restoration Ecology Faculty and Students
University of Washington Tacoma faculty member, Dr. Cynthia Updegrave reached out to SPP staff
about potential collaboration in fall of 2020. Cynthia was eager to engage students in her restoration
ecology course in environmental and social justice. Together, we developed a request for proposals forconservation education activities related to Salish lowland species and ecosystems. It was a pleasureworking with Dr. Updegrave and the students in her course. At the end of the fall quarter, each student
presented thoughtful, well-researched, and creative education activities. We hope to continue tocollaborate with the University of Washington Tacoma.

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SPP Alignment with Evergreen’s Five Foci
Evergreen’s approach to education is best illustrated by The Five Foci of Learning:
1. Interdisciplinary Study: Students learn to pull together ideas and concepts from many subject
areas, which enables them to tackle real-world issues in all their complexity.
2. Collaborative Learning: Students develop knowledge and skills through shared learning,rather than learning in isolation and in competition with others.
3. Learning Across Significant Differences: Students learn to recognize, respect, and bridge
differences—critical skills in an increasingly diverse world.
4. Personal Engagement: Students develop their capacities to judge, speak, and act on the basisof their own reasoned beliefs.
5. Linking Theory with Practical Applications: Students understand abstract theories by applying
them to projects and activities and by putting them into practice in real-world situations.
SPP engages incarcerated students and technicians, enrolled Evergreen students, faculty, corrections
staff, and nonprofit organizations in collaborative, interdisciplinary learning across differences. Ourscience and sustainability education programs are aligned with the social justice, diversity,
environmental stewardship, and public service elements of Evergreen’s mission.
SPP’s Environmental Education and Conservation programs are coordinated by Evergreen graduate
students whose experiences encompass and exemplify all five foci. Since 2009, SPP-Evergreen has
employed nearly 60 Evergreen students in long-term positions and provided honoraria or internshipstipends to dozens more. Through SPP, the incarcerated participants of education and conservation
programs also gain access to the Evergreen learning model, thus sharing in the benefits of thisinnovative interdisciplinary approach. An increasing number of former SPP program participants areattending Evergreen post-release—contributing their valuable experiences, assets, and skills directly to
our campus learning communities.

SPP Alignment with WA Corrections’ Mission & Vision
From WA Corrections’ website:
Mission: To improve public safety by positively changing lives
Vision: Working together for safer communities
The Department of Corrections is committed to operating a safe and humane corrections system andpartnering with others to transform lives for a better Washington. A key value of WA Corrections is
supporting people's success: understanding individuals, instilling hope, embracing change, and providing
opportunities. Through the SPP partnership, WA Corrections brings science, nature, and environmental
education into the state’s correctional facilities. These programs create a safer and more humane

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report15

correctional environment, provide opportunities for incarcerated individuals to achieve academic andvocational goals, and contribute to their successful reentry to our communities.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report16

3. Budget
This section of the report addresses budget resources available via the SPP team at The Evergreen State
College (SPP-Evergreen). The Washington Department of Corrections (WA Corrections) and numerous
other partners dedicate additional personnel time, funding, and materials support for SPP programs;
those critical contributions are not detailed here. While Evergreen does not provide direct funding for
SPP, they make important contributions by providing office space, payroll processing, access to students
and faculty, human resource services, and budget management support.
SPP-Evergreen had just over $800,000 in funds available from 17 sources during this one and half year
reporting period. Our annual budget for fiscal year 20 (July 2019- June 2020) was just over $560,000.
Available funding included two contracts (one per fiscal year) with WA Corrections that were spent on
WA prison programs in accordance with contract requirements. Other funding sources include state andfederal contracts, grants, foundation and private donations briefly described in Table 3 below. SPP-

A photo collage card put together by the SPP team to say thank you to our generous donors from the
Seattle Foundation. Pictured left to right: Marisa Pushee, Graham Klag, Erica Benoit, Carl Elliot, Joslyn
Rose Trivett, Shohei Morita, Allison Campbell, Anna Duron, Jacob Meyers, Kelli Bush, and Keegan Curry.

Evergreen developed an exciting new relationship with a donor toward the end of this reporting period
and will describe that project in more detail in our next reporting period.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

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The percentage of funding provided by individual sources varies from month to month as sources
become available or close throughout the year. SPP-Evergreen staff continuously seek new funding andcomplete existing grants and contracts. This reporting period we had slightly fewer contract resources
available from federal sources. Given staffing changes and COVID-19 impacts, we also competed for
fewer grants, donations, and contracts in 2020, but we are increasing our attention on diversifying
funding sources in 2021. During this reporting period, SPP-Evergreen staff were responsible forstewarding funds from the sources described below.
Table 3. SPP Grant and Contract Funding (see Appendix 3 for abbreviations).
SPP Funding Sources July 2019 – December 2020
SourceProgram Area

Funding TypeJBLM Wetland & Prairie Plant Production 2018/2019

Conservation Nursery

contract

JBLM Prairie Plant Production 2019/2020

Conservation Nursery

contract

JBLM Prairie Plant Production 2021

Conservation Nursery

contract

CNLM Native Seed & Plants

Conservation Nursery

contract

Samish Nation Emergent Vegetated Mats

Conservation Nursery

contract

WDFW

Conservation Nursery

contract

US Forest Service

Conservation Nursery

contract

WDFW, WA DNRConservation Nursery

contract

Friends of Willapa National Wildlife Refuge

Conservation Nursery

contract

DOC General Operating FY20

SPP General & Education

contract

DOC General Operating FY21

SPP General & Education

contract

WDFW Taylor's Checkerspot 2019

Butterfly Operation

contract

WDFW Taylor's Checkerspot 2020

Butterfly Operation

contract

USFWS Butterfly Program Expansion

Butterfly Expansion

grant

Seattle Foundation

SPP General & Education

donation

Herb Alpert Foundation

Gardening Education

donation

Individual Foundation Donations

SPP General

donation

The majority of SPP-WA’s budget is dedicated to personnel expenses. A smaller, but significant portion
goes to program materials such as education supplies, small infrastructure projects, scientificequipment, printed outreach, and materials for prison libraries.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report18

4. Environmental Education Programs
Education is an integral part of SPP’s programs. SPP-Evergreen works to make the most of both formal
and informal education opportunities and to offer new knowledge and practice to incarcerated
students, staff, and partners. While our goal is to provide education in every program, that is theprimary outcome of SPP’s environmental education programs.
In the sections below, we highlight the successes, struggles, and developments of the Environmental
Workshop Series, Roots of Success, beekeeping, and gardening programs at WA correctional facilities.
To protect the health and safety of incarcerated individuals, many of these education programs were
temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 as they typically rely on education delivered by visiting experts
and/or gathering in a classroom. Instead, we shifted our focus to developing and providing more peerled and remote education and identifying effective methods of sharing it with incarcerated students. We
believe that with limited programming available during these challenging times, providing access tomeaningful and uplifting education is beneficial in supporting the well-being of our incarcerated
partners. Despite many challenges over the past year, we continue to hear from incarcerated
individuals, staff, and administration about the positive impacts of these programs.
In addition to SPP-Evergreen-led education programs, it’s also important to mention the work ofcommunity colleges in providing education opportunities to incarcerated students. In particular andmost related to SPP’s mission, CCCC and WCC in partnership with Centralia College and WCCW with
Tacoma Community College offer vocational horticultural classes. Students in these programs gain
access to excellent education, training, and hands-on work in a variety of extensive gardens.
Lastly, we include a section with updates on offering academic credit and certification in SPP programs
through the Evergreen State College.

Environmental Engagement Workshop Series
Since 2009, we have offered more than 336 lectures
and workshops on environmental science andsustainability topics in nine prisons led by at least 250
scientists and practitioners representing 140 agencies,
businesses, and schools.

The regular workshop series operates out of threefacilities. Historically, these facilities have been SCCC,
WCCW, and WCC, but 2020 brought change: theworkshop series successfully expanded to MCCCW
and was discontinued at WCCW. Not long after
conducting the first workshops at MCCCW, the COVID19 pandemic caused temporary suspension of the

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

A workshop student studies a preserved octopus specimen
at the very first workshop at MCCCW. Attendance at thisworkshop was excellent and also featured a live Pacific
red octopus! Photo by Joslyn Trivett.

19

workshop series at all facilities in an effort to protect the safety of incarcerated students who attend
this program. The last in-person workshop of 2020 was held at MCCCW on March 6, 2020. With the aimof test-driving remote workshop learning, a small handful of monthly remote workshop videos were
provided for viewing at SCCC.
In total, we have recorded 3,331 incarcerated students participating in workshops from four main sites:
1,499 from SCCC; 1,421 from WCCW; 341 from WCC; 70 from MCCCW. Adding known students fromother facilities and years, we estimate at least 3,500 incarcerated students have attended the workshop
series, with many attending multiple presentations. During this reporting period, attendance of theWorkshop Series steadily grew at WCC, remained strong at SCCC, steadily decreased at WCCW until that
program’s suspension, and showed great promise at MCCCW before the series’ suspension. Specificattendance and topics are detailed in Table 4.
Another exciting highlight from this reporting period included the University Beyond Bars’ Art & Lecture
Series. In late 2019, SPP partnered with University Behind Bars (UBB), an organization that offers college
instruction at the Monroe Correctional Complex, to offer a mini-series focused on environmental topics
as a part of their regular Art and Lecture Series. Each workshop consisted of guest experts providing 2.75
hours of presentation, discussion, and activities on a variety of environmental topics such as sustainablewaste management, composting, and nature illustration. Students who attended all three sessions were
eligible for a special certificate. A total of 13 incarcerated students earned certificates through thisprogram.
Table 4. Workshop series attendance statewide, July 2019 – December 2020.
Workshop Series at Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC)
Date

Presenter(s)Topic

07/18/2019

Emily Adams

Screen printing

28

07/25/2019

Emily Adams

Screen printing

20

09/05/2019

Jacob Meyers

Prairie Conservation

44

09/19/2019

Robin Bond

Astrobiology

65

10/17/2019

Hannah Faulkner

Forage Fish

57

11/21/2019

Mason Rolph

Clean Energy

55

12/19/2019

Christine Rayburn

Plastic Pollution Crisis

69

01/16/2020

Faye Peebles, Judah Jamison

Wolves and Orcas

70

02/20/2020

Sheilia Canada

Permaculture

57

05/01/2020

Remote Video Content

Environmental Justice15

06/01/2020

Remote Video Content

Plant Intelligence9

07/01/2020

Remote Video Content

Inclusivity in Nature

8

08/01/2020

Remote Video Content

Herpetology

6

Total

Attendance503

Workshop Series - Seminars at Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC)
Date

Presenter(s)Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

Title/topic

Attendance

2012/05/2019

Seminar: facilitated group discussion

Solar energy

20

02/13/2020

Seminar: facilitated group discussion

Plastic Pollution & Marine
Life

40

Total

60

Workshop Series at Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW)
Date

Presenter(s)Topic

08/13/2019

Jacob Meyers & Conservation Crew

Prairie Conservation

24

09/03/2019

Astrobiology

Robin Bond26

11/05/2019

David George Gordon & Karen Luke Fildes

Studying & Drawing Snails

14

11/19/2019

Thomas Quinn

Pacific Salmon

7

12/03/2019

Aaron Clark

Stormwater & GreenInfrastructure

25

01/07/2020

Chris Montero, Faye Peebles

Wolves & Orcas

32

Total

Attendance

128

Workshop Series at Washington Corrections Center (WCC)
Date

Presenter(s)Topic

07/24/2019

Laurie Pyne

Bees 10130

08/28/2019

Sadie Gilliom

Wild Foraging

62

09/25/2019

Carrie LeRoy

Mount St. Helens

59

10/23/2019

Thomas Quinn

Pacific Salmon

49

11/27/2019

Richard Samyn

Beekeeping 101

83

01/22/2020

Julianne Gale, Derek Hoshiko

Climate Science 101

40

01/23/2020

Incarcerated dog handlers from WCC

Service Dog Training

30

02/26/2020

Julianne Gale, James Landreth, Zephyr Nordlund

Healthy Soils & Food Forests

53

Total

Attendance

406

Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW)
Date

Presenter(s)Topic

02/28/2020

Rus Higley

Octopus Intelligence57

03/06/2020

Fawn Harris, Michael Etgen

Raptors of the PNW

52

Total

Attendance

109

Special Events
Date

Topic

Location

08/17/2019

Sanitation & Human Waste (UBB’s Art & Lecture
Series)Attendance

MCC

41

09/21/2019

Tilth Alliance (UBB’s Art & Lecture Series)

MCC

28

10/09/2019

Intro to Drawing with Skill Builders Unit

SCCC

13

10/16/2019

Intro to Drawing with Skill Builders Unit

SCCC

15

01/11/2020

Nature Sketching (UBB’s Art & Lecture Series)

MCC

46

Total

143

Statewide Total, July 2019 – March 2020

1,349

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

21

The series offers three levels of certification for attendance of 5 sessions, 10 sessions, and 20 or more,
respectively. Level 3 certificates have been successfully recognized as transfer credit for admitted
students at Evergreen. Details regarding certificates awarded are provided in the table below. Due tothe small number of workshops offered at MCCCW before suspension, no certificates have been earnedat this facility yet.
Table 5. Students Eligible for Workshop Series Certification
Facility

Certificate

SCCC

WCCW

WCC

Awarded since 2014

Awarded July 2019 – March 2020

Level 1 – 5 or more workshops

401

23

Level 2 – 10 or more workshops

196

12

Level 3 – 20 of more workshops*

86

6

Level 1 – 5 or more workshops

197

17

Level 2 – 10 or more workshops

37

1

Level 3 – 20 of more workshops

12

0

Level 1 – 5 or more workshops

68

35

Level 2 – 10 or more workshops

31

18

Level 3 – 20 of more workshops

6

4

1,034

116

Total

*includes 2 DOC staff members

Roots of Success
Roots of Success is an environmental literacy curriculum developed by Dr. Raquel Pinderhughes,
Professor of Urban Studies & Planning at San Francisco State University (more at rootsofsuccess.org).
WA Corrections began offering the program in July 2013 and content has been well-received by many
incarcerated students over the years. Certified incarcerated instructors deliver the program, a model wehave found effective and satisfying among students, instructors, and staff sponsors.
During this reporting period, we supported six active, full-curriculum programs at the following facilities:
AHCC, CRCC, LCC, MCC-WSR, SCCC, and WCC. However, five of these facilities had to suspend theprogram due to COVID-19. Details for this reporting period are shown in the following tables andhighlights.
Table 6. Roots of Success Program overview by institution

AHCC

Status as ofDecember 2020
Suspended*

CBCC

Inactive

CCCC

Inactive

Facility

Notes and future plans
Restart classes if and when it is safe to do so.
Program is inactive as the facility currently has no instructors. There are a few
certified instructors who recently transferred to CBCC. May revisit if there isfacility interest to restart the program.
N/A

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

22

CRCC

Suspended*

Restart classes if and when it is safe to do so.
Current instructors releasing soon. Primary instructors will be releasing soon.
SCCC has identified two potential instructors who may be interested in
LCC
Activetransferring to LCC to teach there. This process stalled due to COVID-19 but willrevisit if and when it is safe to do so.
MCC-WSR Suspended*
Restart classes if and when it is safe to do so.
MCCCW
Inactive
Currently no instructor
OCC
Inactive
N/A
SCCC
Suspended*
Restart classes if and when it is safe to do so.
Long-time instructor will be releasing soon. Future plans include working with theprogram liaison and facility leadership to either host an instructor training before
WCC
Suspended*
the current Master trainer’s ERD to certify new instructors or identify a certified
instructor to take over his teaching position.
Currently no available instructor. Program inactive due to unavailability of primary
WCCW
Inactive
instructor and classroom space. Efforts to identify new instructors and classroom
are on hold due to COVID-19. May revisit if there is facility interest.
Program stalled and is currently inactive as the facility is not purchasing new
WSP
Inactiveworkbooks.
*Temporarily suspended or placed on hold due to COVID-19, currently one active program as of December 2020

The full version of Roots curriculum requires 50 hours of classroom time plus substantive time for
instruction prep, workbook review, and administrative tasks. We find it is most successful when
delivered by incarcerated-instructors because it relies on less staff time and creates a productive peerto-peer classroom environment. The table below provides information related to graduates of this full
curriculum.
Table 7. Summary of Roots of Success graduates of full curriculum for this reporting period.
Facility
AHCC
CRCC
LCC
MCC-WSR
SCCC
WCC
WCCW
Reporting period
Total since beginning

Number of cohorts
3
1
6
2
4
1
1
18
135

Graduates
24
10
25
10
43
12
6
130
1,565

Roots Certificated Instructors
In 2015, Dr. Pinderhughes certified five male instructors to be Master Trainers, who can train and certify
new Roots instructors. During this reporting period, four trainings were held to certify 29 newincarcerated instructors from three facilities. Further details are provided in the following table.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report23

Table 8. Roots of Success instructor training details.
Facility

Training Date

Instructors Certified

AHCC

10/28/2019

13

SCCC

10/9/20198

SCCC

2/13/2020

5WCC

9/25/20193

Instructors certified thisreporting period
Total instructors certified
since beginning29
145
Master trainer Grady Mitchell helps Matthew
Edens at WCC Roots instructor training session.
Photo by Bethany Shepler.

Teaching Practicum
In partnership with The Evergreen State College and Roots of Success, we developed a teachingpracticum certificate that recognizes instructors who have taught 3+ full curriculum classes, or 150+
hours of teaching. Each certificate represents academic achievement equivalent to 5 college credits forstudents enrolled at The Evergreen State College. An instructor may receive up to three certificates. The
following table details certificates awarded during this reporting period.
Table 9. Roots of Success instructors awarded teaching practicum certificate by facility.
Facility
LCC

SCCC
WCC
Total

Award date(s)01/17/20
10/27/20
11/17/20
05/13/20
05/13/20
01/07/20

Certificates earned
3

2
1
6

Events and Outreach
September 25, 2019 - WCC hosted an instructor training led by master trainer, Grady Mitchell, to train 3
new instructors. SPP Green Track Coordinators Shohei Morita and Bethany Shepler attended the event,and published a blog post.
December 9, 2019 - SCCC hosted a graduation event to recognize students from the recent graduatingclass and new certified instructors. SPP Green Track Coordinator, Shohei Morita attended the event.
Education Materials Donations
Roots of Success instructors from various facilities expressed the need for additional educational
materials. We made donations to various programs in an attempt to diversify their education resources.
Additionally, we purchased environmental books that will be sent to programs throughout the state.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report24

Table 10. List of bonus education materials.
Date

Facility

02/26/2020

AHCC

03/10/2020

WCCW

05/29/2020

WCC

06/12/2020

CRCC

07/30/2020 SCCC
07/30/2020 SCCC
07/30/2020 SCCC
Shared with all facilities
Available to all facilities

Item description
Book, Energy Literacy, Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts forEnergy Education
Book, Energy Literacy, Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts forEnergy Education
Poster, Evolution & Classification of Life
Book, Energy Literacy, Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts forEnergy Education
Book: Another Turn of the Crank by Wendell Berry
Book: What a Plant Knows by Daniel Chamovitz
Book: Four Fish; The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg
SPP educational materials index
Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project’s weekly Warbler newsletters

Quantity
15
10
1
1
1
1
1

Beekeeping
During this reporting period, we supported 13 active
beekeeping programs at the following facilities:
AHCC, CBCC, CCCC, CRCC, LCC, MCC-SOU, MCC-TRU,
MCCCW, SCCC, WCC, McNeil Island, WCCW, and
WSP. However, 11 of these facilities havesuspended the program due to COVID-19. Details
for this reporting period are shown in the following
tables and highlights.
Right: Beekeepers at AHCC hope that their newly built
insulated bee shed will help increase honeybee
survival rates during the winter. Photo by Sgt. Rob
Mackey.

Table 11. Beekeeping program status by facility, as of December 2020.
Facility

Status as ofDecember 2020

AHCC

Hives

Program Liaison

Suspended*8

Robert Mackey

CBCC

Suspended*

4

Faye Nicholas

CCCC

Suspended*

0

CRCC
LCC
MCC-SOU
MCC-TRU
MCCCW

Suspended*
Suspended*
ActiveSuspended*
Suspended*

3
5
3
6
0

Jean Anderson
Jerrod Beaulieu
Theodore Travess
Dorothy Trainer
Zack Wilcox
Kathryn Grey
Susan Collins
William Anderson

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

Partner(s)West Plains Beekeepers, Inland Empire
Beekeepers
North Olympic Peninsula Beekeepers
Association
Olympia Beekeepers Association
Mid- Columbia Beekeepers
Clark County Beekeepers
North West District Beekeepers
North West District Beekeepers
West Sound Beekeepers

25April Henderson
OCC
SCCC
WCC
McNeilInactive
Suspended*
Suspended*
Active662Kelly Peterson
Laurie Pyne
Laurie Pyne
Carrie Hesch
WCCW
Suspended*0
Muriah Albin
Dan Zoolkoski
John Fischer
WSP
Suspended*
10
Michael Butler
James Atwood*Temporarily suspended or placed on hold due to COVID-19

Olympia Beekeepers Association
Olympia Beekeepers Association
Olympia Beekeepers Association
West Sound Beekeepers

West Plains Beekeepers Association

Table 12. Beekeeper certificates awarded during this reporting period by facility.
Facility

Beginner

Incarcerated students
Apprentice
Journeyman

Staff students
Beginner
Apprentice

AHCC
CBCC
CCCC
CRCC

0
24
15
0

7
0
0
11

1
0
0
0

0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0

LCC
MCC-SOU
MCC-TRU
MCCCW
SCCC
WCC
WCCW
WSP
Total

6
7
7
0
40
16
16
6
137

0
7
7
0
24
0
0
0
56

0
0
0
0
1
0
0
5
7

0
0
1
0
2
2
5
3
13

0
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
3

Beekeeping Program Highlights
The WASBA’s Beginner and Apprentice Beekeeping curriculum have been revised. SPP will continue to
use the old workbooks until we run out of those printed copies, supplemented with the “revisions andadditions” printout provided by WASBA.
WASBA’s annual conference was held virtually this year due to COVID-19, which provided a rareopportunity for incarcerated beekeepers to attend via video conference. Student beekeepers from SCCC
and WCC participated in this year’s conference through Zoom. Conference recordings were madeavailable to these two facilities for no additional charge, and to all other WA Corrections facilities at$1/person.
Aligned with our goal of safely providing education materials during the COVID-19 pandemic, SPP began
distributing monthly beekeeping packets, which include beekeeping-related articles and optional
worksheets. These are sent to each beekeeping liaison to print and distribute to students. As students

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report26complete the worksheets, they can turn them in to the liaison to send back to SPP. As of December,materials have been sent to all 12 facilities. The table below summarizes the returned responses fromstudents.
Table 13. Bee packet responses received
Facility
CBCC
CRCC
LCC
MCC-SOU
MCC-TRU
MCCCW
SCCC
WCCW
Total

Number of responses
2
1
2
4
5
11
13
25
63

Student beekeepers at WCC attended WASBA’s
Journey level-certified beekeepers expressedvirtual conference in October 2020. Photo by Laurie
their interest in continuing beekeeping
Pyne.
education and certification. Considering thechallenge of achieving requirements for Master level certification in a prison setting, WASBA’s educationcommittee recommended creating a new certification option. The WASBA “Scholar” Certification is ahigher level certificate that can be completed during incarceration. For beekeepers who wish to attain a
Masters level certification post-release, work done toward the Scholar certification will apply toward
Masters certificate requirements. SPP-Evergreen and WASBA are drafting Scholar certificate
requirements and will receive input from incarcerated beekeepers and WA Corrections staff before
finalizing.

SPP-Evergreen worked with WCCW program sponsor Carrie Hesch to create an updated job description
for incarcerated Bee Conservation Techs statewide. The description has been approved and updated in
WA Corrections’ OMNI system.
SPP-Evergreen purchased a one-year subscription to the American Bee Journal (ABJ) to be shared with
WA DOC bee programs. CBCC, CCCC, MCC-SOU, MCC-TRU, SCCC, WCC, WCCW, and WCC expressedinterest and will receive a copy every month beginning January 2021.
The beekeeping program at McNeil Island continues to thrive with consistent support from Olympia
Beekeepers and WA Corrections staff. Student beekeepers from CCCC visit the island biweekly during
the summer months to take care of the hives. In early 2020, corkhives.com donated a cork hive to
McNeil Island. McNeil beekeepers are tentatively planning on using it in the spring.
We continue to provide educational materials whenever possible. During the reporting period we
supplied the materials summarized in the table below.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report27

Table 14. List of educational materials donated.
Facility
CCCC
MCC-SOU
MCC-SOU
MCC-SOU
MCC-SOU
MCC-SOU
MCC-TRU
MCC-TRU
MCC-TRU
MCCCW
SCCC
SCCC
SCCC
WCC
WCC
WCC
WCCW
WCCW
WCCW
WCCW
WCCW
WCCW
WSP
WSP

Item type
Journal
DVD
DVD
Book
Book
JournalBook
Folding guide
JournalJournalDVD
Book and DVD
JournalDVD
Book
JournalDVD
Folding guide
Book
DVD
DVD
JournalDVD
Book

Item title
American Bee Journal back issues
Vanishing of the bees
Tales from the hive
Honeybee Democracy
The lives of bees
American Bee Journal back issues
Honeybee Democracy
Common bees of western north America
American Bee Journal back issues
American Bee Journal back issues
Tales from the hive
Natural Beekeeping
American Bee Journal back issues
Tales from the hive
Honeybee Democracy
American Bee Journal back issues
Tales from the hive
Common bees of western north America
The lives of bees
Hive updates by SPPWASBA Conference recording
American Bee Journal back issues
Tales from the hive
Honeybee Democracy

Events and Outreach
September 18, 2019 – Incarcerated student
beekeepers at WSP harvested over 200 lbs. ofhoney. SPP staff Bethany Shepler and Shohei
Morita attended the event.
October 16, 2019 – Expert beekeeper, Laurie
Pyne (Olympia Beekeepers), published anaturalist’s field journal of the McNeil Island
beekeeping program. Hard copies were sent
to all beekeeping liaisons, and electronic
copies are available for download.
October 25, 2019 – Beekeepers at LCC
harvested over 10 gallons of honey. Shohei
Morita (SPP) attended the event.

Bottled honey from WSP's honey extraction day. Photo
by Jonathan Fischer.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report28

December 11, 2019 – Beekeepers at WCC
harvested over 130 lbs. of honey.
February 4, 2020 – WCCW held agraduation event for 16 incarcerated andfive staff students completing the beginnerlevel certification course. Shohei Morita(SPP) attended.
February 13, 2020 – MCC held a filmscreening of NOVA’s Tales from the Hive.
The screening followed by a Q&A session
with prospective and current beekeeping
students.

Expert beekeeper Sandy Fanara speaks to the students during
a hive clean-up day at WCCW. Photo by Shohei Morita.

February 27, 2020 – AHCC held a graduation event for a Journey level class. Shohei Morita (SPP)
attended the event.
March 10, 2020 - WCCW held a hive cleaning day to prepare bees. Shohei Morita (SPP) attended theevent.

Incarcerated student beekeepers at LCC and guest expert beekeeper, Dean
Spellman, with their hives. Photo by Shohei Morita.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report29Foundations in Gardening

Facilitators and students gather for the first peer-led gardening class at SCCC. Photo by Joslyn Trivett.

SPP staff began working with partners to develop a peer-led gardening course prior to the pandemic.
Creating the course depended on many organizations and individuals, including Institute for Applied
Ecology, the Oregon Food Bank, University Beyond Bars, SPP staff at The Evergreen state College, WA
Corrections leadership, and incarcerated individuals & staff at three prisons: Stafford Creek Corrections
Center, Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, and Monroe Correctional Complex. The first pilot course washeld at SCCC in August 2020, with two facilitators and seven students. This cohort was close tocompleting the course, when the program was temporarily suspended due to significant increase in
COVID-19 cases at the prison. We expect that they will be able to complete final modules and graduate
when it is safe to resume the program. We have identified multiple tasks to update the course and lookforward to receiving input from facilitators, students, and staff.

Academic Credit & Certifications
Over the past several years SPP-Evergreen staff have worked with college leaders, stakeholders,legislators, corrections staff, other education organizations, and allies to identify and remove barriers to
granting credit during incarceration for SPP’s certificated internships. This issue remains SPP’s toppriority. To advance efforts, SPP-Evergreen’s staff have developed briefing materials, sought
consultation from experts, confirmed support from stakeholders, identified relevant legal language,drafted legislation and policies, and coordinated and participated in numerous meetings.
SPP faculty of record and Evergreen academic deans have pre-determined credit value for SPP’scertificates—acknowledging the credibility of our education model. Expenses for delivering theseeducation programs are largely satisfied by multiple grants, contracts, donations, and associated indirect
funds secured by SPP-Evergreen. In addition, incarcerated students served by these programs do notincur typical faculty or physical plant expenses associated with tuition. Given the financial support
already provided to Evergreen through these non-tuition resources and the lack of typical education

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report30

expenses for these students, charging full tuition for these credits is largely redundant. SPP-Evergreen is
prepared to fully fund the minor administrative expenses associated with granting credit using this wellestablished model. We are hopeful we may accomplish this goal in the coming year.
In this reporting period, SPP awarded significantly
fewer certificates than usual as many programs
were suspended during the pandemic; prior to
COVID-19 we awarded nearly 100 certificates per
year. This reporting period we awarded 44 SPP
certificates that warrant consideration for college
credit at Evergreen. Additional “recognition”
awards—not eligible for credit evaluation—are notincluded in this summary. We look forward toreporting on new certificates for the SPP
gardening, composting and sheep programs in thenext reporting period.

A butterfly technician smiles with her Butterfly
Rearing & Research Specialist certificate. Photo by
SPP staff.

Table 15. SPP Certificate Awards, July 2019 – December 2020.
Academic
hours

Vocational
hours

CertificatesAwarded30 hours of class time

30

0

10

Conservation Nursery Technician

30

370

10

Conservation Nursery Specialist

60

740

6

Western Pond Turtle Care

Rehabilitation & Research Specialist

200

800

1

Composting

Vermiculture and CompostingSpecialist

200

800

8

Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly

Rearing & Research Specialist

540

960

3

Roots of Success (Instructors)

Teaching Practicum

150

0

6

ProgramCertificate Type

Environmental Workshop Series
Conservation Nurseries

Total Certificates Awarded

44

Total Certificates 2016 - 2020

352

SPP facilitates certificate awards from outside organizations in two additional programs. Number ofcertificates awarded for each of these programs is described in their respective sections above: Beekeepers are certified by Washington State Beekeepers Association.
 Roots of Success students are certified by the organization Roots of Success.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report31

5. Conversation Programs“I’ve really learned who I am; that’s really the only thing I want to get across. Even though I didn’t go tohigher education and do what other technicians are doing with their lives, I’m so grateful for the route
I’ve been able to take. The importance of waking up and caring for the plants and fish, I don’t think in a
million years I would be able to be where I am today without that.”– Formerly incarcerated partner, Brian Bedilion
SPP’s conservation programs encompass a huge range of goals, activities, and topics, though all share
three things in common:
1. The program focus is conservation-related education and training: preserving and protecting a
species, landscape, and/or other natural resources.
2. These programs depend on strong collaborations between incarcerated people, corrections
staff, students, SPP staff, scientists, and community experts who share their knowledge,
resources, and enthusiasm.
3. Incarcerated program partners are both students and technicians; they receive formal
education, training, and hands-on experience. Essentially, these are college-level internships,
and technicians are awarded SPP certificates as they complete certification requirements.
Conservation programs’ success is dependent on each partner contributing their expertise and time.
Programs are designed to maximize benefits to each collaborator.

Conservation Nursery Programs
During this reporting period, the majority of plants produced in the SPP Conservation Nurseries were
provided to Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) for Salish lowland prairie restoration. In addition to plants
produced for ecological restoration at JBLM, SPP increased partnerships to grow specific plant species
for targeted restoration projects. Other agencies and organizations we partnered with include: WA
Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), WA Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Center for NaturalLands Management (CNLM), United States Forest Service (USFS), Olympic National Forest, Suislaw
National Forest, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Portland Metro, and WA Corrections. Though
the above includes an extensive geographic range, the majority of species produced at the conservation
nurseries support habitat restoration for two federally listed butterflies: Taylor’s checkerspot andOregon-coastal silverspot.
Plant-Plug Production
The SPP Conservation Nursery concentrated production at WCCW, temporarily turning overinfrastructure at SCCC WA Corrections for facility food production. Though this reduced the number ofincarcerated technicians receiving programming, the opportunity allowed SPP to offer in-depth, higher
level education and training opportunities to technicians at WCCW.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report32Conservation Nursery Technicians at WCCW sow
Balsamorhiza deltoidea into deep plant cells. Photoby Savannah Richard.

Technician Ms. Unger was a vital part of the WCCW
Conservation Nursery in 2020. She exceeded all
expectations by coordinating plant cultivation andrecruiting volunteer technicians to keep the nursery
thriving with limited supervision from SPP during
COVID-19 restrictions. Photo by Savannah Richard.

During this reporting period, the nursery
delivered 153,362 plant plugs of 45 species forbutterfly recovery and regional habitat restoration. See following table for further details. Plugproduction is necessary for species that do not establish well from seed when planted in habitat
restoration sites. Additionally, the nursery provided a number of species for the USFS for restoration ofrecreational areas in 2020.
Table 16. Conservation Nursery Regional Plug Summary, delivered July 2019 – December 2020.
2019 Species

2020 Species

2019 Plants

2020 Plants

Total Delivered

45

39

87,122

66,240Total Requested

51

42

87,084

55,120104%

120%Percent Delivered of Requested

Prairie Seed Gardens
SPP conservation nurseries at WCC and WCCW successfully produced seeds for species not easily
cultivated or harvested. In 2019, the seed plots at WCC produced over 11 lbs. of early blue violet (Viola
adunca) seed and 1.2 lbs. of Viola howellii—a significant accomplishment given the size and weight ofthese tiny seeds. In 2020, we encountered challenges providing adequate training for seed collection
resulting in significantly less seed – 5.5 lbs. of early blue violet (Viola adunca). Technicians also
continued cultivating seeds from difficult species from wild collections, including Hieracium scouleri,
Silene douglasii, Silene scouleri, Viola praemorsa, and the state-listed threatened Puget groundsel,
Packera macounii. Each of these species should produce seed in 2021.
In 2017, SPP began supporting restoration efforts in the Oregon Coast geographic region. At WCCW,
nursery technicians cultivated eight garden beds with early blue violet (Viola adunca) seed stock fromcoastal Oregon following improved planting protocols resulting in more vigorous plant establishment.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report33

Harvest from 2019 was 6 lbs. from 1,000 square feet of bed space. In 2020 seed production was put on
hold at WCCW due to COVID-19 staffing restrictions.

Emergent Pre-Vegetated Mat (EVM) Production
The EVM program was established as a collaboration among USFWS, WDFW, and JBLM with the primaryobjective to restore habitat for the Oregon spotted frog (OSF). Key funding support was provided by
JBLM, WA Corrections, and SPP-Evergreen’s Foundation donations. The program cultivates prevegetated mats (blankets of coconut fiber) of wetland plant species for habitat restoration benefiting
OSF and salmon species. Stafford Creek Corrections Center cultivates the mats in an aquaponics
horticulture system. In 2019, the Samish Nation and Skagit and Whatcom Counties ordered 50 prevegetated mats for OSF occupied sites. The mats contained Juncus supiniformis, Carex exsiccata andGlyceria elata. The mats were delivered in September of that year, and the adult frogs on the Samish
River almost instantly found the mats to be suitable habitat.

Left to right: EVM Technicians, Mr. Oddo and Mr. Hieronymous, load 50 mats to be delivered to Samish Nation,
photo by Carl Elliott; Samish Nation Technicians and Teal Waterstrat (USFWS) install mats at OSF sites along theSamish River, photo provided by the Samish Nation; Oregon spotted frog seen checking out the newly placed
mats, photo provided by the Samish Nation.

The EVM team at SCCC includes incarcerated technicians, maintenance staff, SPP-Evergreen program
coordinators and managers. In late 2019, a power outage led to the loss of almost all adult fish in theaquaponics system. The technicians and SCCC maintenance staff quickly developed the infrastructurenecessary to rear and raise replacements from eggs produced by the surviving fish. They successfully
bred and reared over 300 fish to adulthood. This was an unprecedented, remarkable achievement, far
beyond the program’s already challenging technical demands.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report34

Left to right: Technician Oddo expresses eggs from Koi in preparation for fish spawn, photo by WA
Corrections; The 10-week old fish (fry) are fed brine shrimp raised at SCCC and a mix of algae and bacteria
grown in the aquaponics greenhouse, photo by Anna Duron.

The COVID-19 pandemic required putting the EVM program in stasis, one of many changes in 2020.
Instead, SPP pivoted to working with SCCC to develop protocols and cultivation techniques to produce
microgreens for facility food production. In 2021, SPP hopes to provide supplementary nutrition throughmicro-green production in the EVM program.

Left to right: Coir mats growing brassica seedlings in the microgreen pilot project; Technician Hieronymous
sowing a portion of microgreens harvested during the pilot project. Photos by Anna Duron.

Training and Education, All Conservation Nurseries
SPP’s Conservation Nursery Program Coordinators provide regular guidance and education to
incarcerated technicians leading to credit eligible certification. The coordinators also serve as theprimary point of contact for all partners, including the WA Corrections staff that supervise and counsel
the technicians. All the workshops and lectures listed below were presented from July 2019 to March
2020.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report35

Table 17. Prairie Conservation Nursery Education and Certification, July 2019 – December 2020 (seeAppendix 3 for abbreviations).
SCCC Conservation Nursery
Sessions (30 – 90 minutes)
SPP Programs Overview
Prairie Charrette Introduction
Coastal prairie mats
Weeding and inventory
Wetland plant mats
Prairie soils and geology
Soil test sample analysis
Research papers in aquaponics/horticulture
SCCC Prairie Subtotal

Number of Sessions
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
8

Attendees
12
12
12
12
11
11
11
11

Number of Sessions
1

Attendees
2

1

2

1
1

2
2

1

2

1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

1

2

1

2

SCCC Emergent Pre-Vegetated Mat
Sessions (30 – 90 minutes)
Oxidation states
Presentation on aquaponics and EVM to SCC Workshop Series bytechnicians
Introduction to genetics; genetics and domestication
Wetland Refresher: Basic knowledge of wetlands
General Chemistry Refresher: Lewis Structures and Electron
Configuration
Introduction to Evolution
Natural Selection, Evolution, and Darwin's Finches
How is a Species Formed; Subspecies and Ecotypes
Mycorrhizal Fungi
Effects of pH on nitrogen transformations in media-based aquaponics
Humus and Humic Substances and their Benefits in a System
Denitrification
Foliar application of humic acid
Periodic Table, Covalent Bonds, and Atomic Weight
Formal Charges and Electron Configuration
Nomenclature in Chemistry
Food Handlers Safety
Ammonia Excretion across Fish Gills: NH3 Diffusion and Transepithelial
NH4+ Diffusion
Mechanisms of Ammonia Excretion: Apical Exchange and H/NH4
Exchange
SCCC EVM Subtotal

19

WCCW Conservation Nursery
Sessions (30 – 90 minutes)
Symphony of the Soil
Forest Ecology
Seed: The Untold Story
Prairie Plants: ARCUVA

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

Number of Sessions
1
1
1
1

Attendees
3
2
3
3

36

Prairie Plants: AQUFOR, LOMTRI, LOMUTR
Acorn biology/chemistry
Seed Scarification
Prairie Plants: IRITEN, LITPAR
Value and perception of restoration
Mycorrhizal fungi and roots
Prairie conservation at WCCW
Silverspot butterfly and habitat lecture
Nursery Soil and Irrigation
Plant I.D. and ecology workshops
Botany and ecology workshops
Prairie plant sowing and care
COVID-19 Safety, Protocols, and Statistics
Viola propagation and soil requirements
Quercus cultivation
Germination Percentage, Counts, and Analysis
Fragaria Ecology

3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2

WCCW CvN Subtotal

1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
4
1
1
4
2
30

Attendees
5
5
7
7
6
7
5
7
7
4
7
12

WCC CvN Subtotal

Number of Sessions
2
2
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
4
4
1
22

WCC Prairie Seed Garden
Sessions (30 – 90 minutes)
Weed control workshop
Soil Management Series
Defining a Species
Seed Ecology
Nursery Bed Repair
Nursery Protocol Review
Plant Evolution and Selection
Plant Workshop PACMAC
Prairie Plant ID
Seed Cleaning Protocols
COVID-19 Safety, Protocols, and Statistics
Ecological Restoration Introduction
Total education sessions

79

Certificates awarded

Technician (400 hrs)

SCCC Prairie Conservation Nursery
SCCC Emergent Vegetated Mats
WCCW Prairie Conservation Nursery
WCC Prairie Seed Garden
Certificate Totals

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

10
0
0
0
10

Specialist(800 hrs)
1
1
4
0
6

37

Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly (TCB) Program
Our flagship pollinator program rears and releases Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies (Euphydryas editha
taylori), a federally-endangered species that once flourished from southern British Columbia to central
Oregon. The SPP rearing facility at MCCCW adds to the scope and resilience of the recovery efforts, andprovides incarcerated people education, training, and certification. Program partners include WDFW,USFWS, JBLM/DoD, and Oregon Zoo.
Since 2011, program participants reared morethan 30,000 caterpillars and adult butterflies forrelease onto south Salish lowland prairies. Morethan 35 incarcerated technicians have received
education and training, six graduate students havecoordinated the program, and seven WA
corrections staff have served as liaisons. Since
2013, SPP has issued 21 certificates for
Close up of Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly in the wild.
Photo by SPP Staff.
incarcerated technicians who have completed theprogram. Rearing outcomes are summarized in thefollowing table. All larvae were released in March 2020 as butterfly captive breeding has been
discontinued as part of species recovery planning.
Table 18. Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly breeding season, April 2019 – March 2020.
CohortDiapause In

Diapause Out

Total Released

Previous Season Cohort

164

162

133

Wild Cohort

3,418

3,408

3,405

Captive Cohort

2,353

2,342

2,333

Quality Control

14

14

16

Total

5,949

5,926

5,887

Table 19. Wild Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies transferred to MCCCW and resulting larvae into
diapause, April 2020.
Greenhouse# Wild TCB# Productive Wild TCB# Resulting Larvae

Larvae into Diapause

Turtle

15

12

1,555

1,550

Raven

14

11

2,266

2,255

Total

29

23

3,821

3,805

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report38

COVID-19 Response
As with all SPP programs, our first priority is health and safety. The COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding
just as Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly larvae were waking from diapause in 2020. In mid-March, thedecision was made to release all larvae into approved field sites, temporarily suspending the program toevaluate if it could safely continue. We wereable to restart the program in late April 2020,
but only after extensive conversations with allpartners, careful planning to outline safety
precautions (implementing CDC guidance), andidentifying options for providing programsupport. Most importantly, we worked toensure that butterfly technicians werecomfortable continuing. They expressed astrong desire to restart, noting that being out inthe program area allowed them more distance
Butterfly technician, Erin, inside on of the greenhouses
from other people and that maintaining thewith an oviposition chamber. English plantain grows inprogram provided them with stress relief
pots in the foreground. Photo by Marisa Pushee.
during these challenging times.
Program highlights in this reporting period:
 MCCCW sent roughly 5,800 total caterpillars to be released, retaining none.
 SPP continued to provide educational materials to our incarcerated partners with mostcompleted individually or within small peer groups.
 Butterfly technicians received several days of training on all aspects of plantain care. They arepropagating plantain food plants from seed as well as maintaining plants in raised beds.
 Program Coordinator, Carly Boyd, started her graduate thesis which will analyze multiple years
of program data to inform environmental targets.
 The 2020-21 season started in late April with 23 wild adult female butterflies, resulting in early
fall 2020, 3,705 into diapause.
Table 20. Butterfly program education and certification, July 2019 – December 2020.
In Person and Remote Education Sessions (30 – 90 minutes)

Sessions

Participants

Propagation and transplantation of host plant & building raised beds

2

4

Preparing soil and starting host plant seeds

2

3

Beekeeping education packets - Remote education

5

3

Northwest Earth Institute Discussion Course on Reconnecting w/ Earth

6

3

Northwest Earth Institute - Choices for Sustainable Living

8

3

Northwest Earth Institute - Seeing Systems: Peace, Justice, & Sustainability

63

Total Education Sessions

29
Certificates Awarded

Butterfly Rearing and Research Specialist, 1500 hours

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

Recipients339

Forage Production
Estimating, planning, and providing adequate larval food sources for Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies has
been a challenge in TCB captive rearing programs. The 2020 season provided the opportunity to analyze
feed data from previous years and match plant production on site at MCCCW with expansions in larval
numbers over the past three years. During the fall of 2020, 23 cloched garden beds were completedwith over 1,000 robust Plantago lanceolata (plantain) available as larval food resources in 2021.
All aspects of plantain care and cultivation are now led by butterfly program technicians at MCCCW.
Updated protocols and training were provided fall 2020. Technicians learned how to sow seeds, makeroot divisions, install cloche covers, and care for plants.

Biological Science Programs at LCC and CCCC: Western Pond Turtles, Woodpecker Nest
Monitoring, and Aquaponics
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and SPP staffing changes, significantly less support was available totechnicians in these programs from mid-March 2020 to December 2020. The SPP Program Coordinatorand external partners were not able to visit programs for a significant portion of this reporting period.
Limited remote education materials were provided for technicians. Unfortunately, the typical level ofdetail describing education materials, workshops, and training offered to technicians are not available
for this suite of programs, for this reporting period. All technicians at LCC and CCCC received workshops
on western pond turtle recovery and care, including content delivered by WDFW biologists andveterinarians. Technicians at CCCC also received remote education materials including beekeeping
education packets. During this reporting period, one program technician earned a Turtle Rehabilitation& Research Specialist certificate (representing over 1,000 hours). Certificates for this program are being
revised to reflect the suite of programs anticipated to restart and new education being added in 2021.
Western Pond Turtle Program
The western pond turtle (Actinemys
marmorata) is a state-listed endangered
species and federal species of concern. Led
by Washington Department of Fish andWildlife (WDFW), partners have beenworking toward species recovery since thelate 1990s. At the start of recovery efforts,
only about 150 turtles remained in the wildin Washington State.
A turtle technician happily poses for a photo with a
In 2013, SPP joined the effort specifically toWestern pond turtle. Photo by Marisa Pushee prior to theassist with the rehabilitation of turtles
COVID-19 pandemic.
afflicted with a “shell disease.” Partners forthese programs include WDFW, PAWS Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ), andOregon Zoo (OR Zoo). Affected turtles require a period of acute care provided by veterinarians. After

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report40

receiving veterinary care, some turtles from the Salish lowland population are moved to CCCC in 2013
and some turtles from the Columbia Gorge population are moved to LCC in 2015. Turtles at CCCC and
LCC receive extended care provided by trained incarcerated technicians. As each turtle heals, they canbe released back into the wild where they are monitored by WDFW. The tables below provide yearlydata related to turtles released at each facility.
During this reporting period, turtles were cared for by technicians for a shorter duration than usual; they
arrived at each prison in January 2020, but were transferred back to veterinary care facilities by midMarch as precaution in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All turtles were later released fromveterinary care and back into the wild as health and environmental conditions were suitable.
Table 21. Western Pond Turtle Rehabilitation at CCCC, August 2013 - March 2020.
Year

Turtles Received

Turtles Released

2013

8

2

i

2014

28

28

2015

ii

8

6

2016

iii

5

2017

iv

4

10

2018

9

9

2019

10

10

2020

v

11

11v

Total

87

81vi

9

i Differs from reported 2016 totals due to the addition of previously missing dataii 7 of 8 turtles were being re-treatediii One of these was humanely euthanized due to a neurological abnormalityiv 3 of 4 turtles were being re-treatedv Due to COVID-19, turtles were transferred back to PAWS rehabilitation center before being released
vi In 2017, 4 turtles were sent back to PAWs for exams and 1 was euthanized see iii above

Table 22. Western Pond Turtle Rehabilitation at LCC, December 2015 – March 2020.
Year
2015
2016

Turtles Received
5

Turtles Released
0

11

9

2017

5

12

2018

11

11

2019

10

10

2020

i

9i

9

Total
51
51
i Due to COVID-19, turtles were transferred back to OR Zoo before being released

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report41

Left to right: Technicians check on a turtle in Western Pond Turtle program; Western pond turtle in thewild. Photos by Marisa Pushee.

Woodpecker Nest Monitoring ProjectIn 2017, SPP began a woodpecker nest monitoring project with biologists from the US Forest Service(USFS), technicians caring for turtles, and staff at CCCC. Other participants in this project include
enrolled college students at several academic institutions. The primary goal of the research program is
to learn more about a keystone species of woodpecker nesting in the western U.S. The program involves
education, training, and monitoring video footage of activity at 85 woodpecker nesting sites. Technicians
review video to document woodpecker nesting ecology, behavior, and potential predator activity. This
information will help identify actions that may increase woodpecker nesting opportunities andcontribute to forest health.
Biologists with the USFS trained program technicians on video monitoring, bird and mammal
identification, and forest health issues. The last education and training session for this program wasoffered in November 2019. Technicians incorporated up to a couple of hours of woodpecker nest video
review into their daily routine. Their observational data has been an integral part of the woodpecker
research study and provides valuable education and training. This project successfully concluded inAugust 2020. USFS expressed their gratitude for the assistance they received and they are committed tosharing research results with incarcerated participants.
Aquaponics Program
The aquaponics program at CCCC offers a small-scale demonstration of “closed-loop” systems byrecycling water and converting nutrients from fish waste and bacterial respiration into a rich growing
environment. The system was developed through partnership with Symbiotic Cycles, SPP-Evergreen, andWA Corrections. The goal of the aquaponics project is to provide technicians opportunities to learn
about sustainable food systems. During this reporting period SPP-Evergreen coordinated and fundedvirtual consulting for Symbiotic Cycles to deliver support for system operation.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report42Sheep Conservation Program
Historically, bighorn sheep were widespread in western North America. By the turn of the 20th century,
populations had dwindled to near extinction, and recovery efforts were needed to return them from thebrink. Today, the biggest threat to bighorn sheep is pneumonia triggered by a bacteria called
Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, or M. ovi for short. The bacteria are commonly carried by domestic sheep
and goats which come in contact with wildlife. Raising M. ovi-free domestic sheep can protect wild
bighorn sheep from the devastating pathogen. Currently, there are no private domestic sheep breedersthat specialize in raising M. ovi-free animals.
In 2015, WDFW introduced SPP leadership to the idea of a pilot program to breed M. ovi-free domestic
sheep. Spring 2018 was the program’s inaugural season. Program partners include WDFW, local sheep
husbandry experts, and SPP partners at WA Corrections and Evergreen. All animals in the flock aretested for the pathogen prior to arrival and multiple times throughout each season. Washington State
University provides pathogen testing and other program guidance. Program findings and protocols will
be shared broadly as they are developed.
During this reporting period there were several changes to the program, and most components wereable to successfully continue. In November 2019, partners met following security issues in the program
area. As a result, the group had to cancel a planned educational trip for technicians to view bighorn
sheep in their natural habitat and make security adjustments to program operation. With these changes,
technicians were able to continue their involvement in the program.
In Spring 2020, the Suffolk ewes housed at the prison gave birth to 21 lambs: 7 females and 14 males.
Three ewes did not produce lambs. There were no “bummer” lambs requiring human intervention forcare and feeding during this reporting period. One yearling ewe, one adult ewe, and one ram lamb diedin 2020. Each of these animals passed away from a different likely cause, includingharassment/predation, poor health, and a fatal injury sustained from fighting with another ram. A few
animals in the flock did test positive for M. ovi, but were successfully treated. Several sheep were sold atmarket to maintain reasonable flock size and health.
Throughout much of 2020, technicians were still able to provide general care and feeding for the flock,treat animals with vaccines, install ear tags, and in a few cases, assist ewe mothers in the birthing
process. In late summer/early fall 2020 as COVID-19 cases surged, technicians weren’t able to access the
program area as they were quarantined. Sheep husbandry experts, Gerry Glenn and Gerry Kjack, andseveral corrections staff ensured animals received daily care in their absence.

Composting with “Bugs”
The composting program housed by the Washington State Reformatory (WSR) at Monroe Correctional
Complex was founded in 2010, primarily by two incarcerated technicians with support from corrections
staff. To transform waste into valuable resources, technicians work with three kinds of “bugs:”

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report431. Worms (also known as red wigglers and the “vermi” in vermicomposting): Worms consume
discarded grains, vegetables, and fruits. Their droppings are called castings, and worm castings
are highly prized as fertilizer and soil amendment.
2. Bokashi: Specialist bacteria can ferment/pre-process citrus, dairy, and meats that the worms
cannot.
3. Black soldier flies: Larvae of a stingless wasp (looks like a fly) can consume all kinds of foodwaste; they turn it into more larvae that are prized as high-quality animal feed.
These approaches to composting represent relatively new technologies. Building on earlier studies, the
WSR program has developed and tested their methods.
In 2017, the program worked with incarcerated technicians and instructors, Seattle’s Tilth
Alliance, University of Washington composting experts, and SPP-Evergreen to create a program
certification eligible for academic credit at The Evergreen State College. For several years, University
Beyond Bars, provided the vital support for peer-led course instruction by supporting incarcerated
individuals who served as teaching assistants and peer educators. In August 2019, the education
program was suspended. Despite several attempts by all partners, the education component was notrestarted prior to the pandemic and has been on hold throughout the remainder of this reporting
period. Prior to program suspension, three cohorts of students graduated from the program. In
November 2019, the last group of 8 students received their certificates in a joint graduation event with
University Beyond Bars.

Composting technicians in the program show off their compost bins. Photo by Erica Benoit.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report44

6. Restorative Nature Programs“I just think that’s the ticket…bringing live plants and the butterflies, it humanizes us again. It gives us
hope. It just gives us more.”– Formerly incarcerated partner, Brian Bedilion
SPP aims to bring nature inside prisons
for its restorative benefits. Previously,
SPP considered restorative nature
programs to be those that focused onrelieving the stress of prison
environments for its inhabitants. We
have since broadened our definition
to include the added benefits ofproviding wildlife habitat. Even so, thebenefit to humans is the mostimportant goal, as scientific literatureshows that when nature is available
within institutional and urban
environments, inhabitants experience
Flowers growing in the gardens at SCCC. Photo by Joslyn Trivett.
many positive, therapeutic benefits. In
particular, the Nature Imagery in Prisons Project team, led by SPP co-founder Nalini Nadkarni, foundthat even “vicarious” nature exposure (in the form of nature videos) has beneficial results forincarcerated individuals and staff in the area. Less formally, the therapeutic values of SPP’s programs
have been recognized widely and consistently by both incarcerated and staff partners.
While all SPP programs are intended to offer positive contact with nature, the initiatives detailed below
include enjoying nature and/or providing wildlife habitat as their primary functions. Overall, SPPEvergreen’s influence on nature imagery programs has been reduced, and many of these specificinitiatives have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The table below aims to represent thestatus of various initiatives reported by WA Corrections.
Table 23. Restorative nature and wildlife habitat efforts, July 2019 – December 2020 (see Appendix 3 forabbreviations).
PrisonPrograms

AHCC

Pollinator plantings

AHCC
AHCC
CBCC
CCCC

Culturally relevant
plantings
Nature imagery
Flower gardens
Pollinator-friendly
flowers

Status & Highlights
Flowers throughout the prison for human & wildlife well-being; pollinatorstations with bee-friendly plantings
Rows of native herbs (lavender, sage, and sweet grass) blessed by local
Native American Elder and to be used in the Native American services
Individuals in maximum security area have access to nature videos
Continued upkeep of 500 perennials planted last reporting period
Planted ~15,000 annual flowers (grown from seed in facility greenhouses)
around facility grounds

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

45

CRCC

Heritage and flower
gardens

CRCC

Land restoration

CRCC
LCC
LCC

Pollinator garden
Bird feeders
House plants

MCCCW

House plants

MCCCW

Flower gardens

MCCCW
MCC-SOU
MCC-SOU
MCC-TRU

Bird boxes
Flower gardens
Nature Imagery
Pollinator plantings

MCC-WSR

Bird habitat

MCC-WSR

House plants

MCC-WSR
OCC

Flower gardens
Water features

OCC

Flower gardens,
boxes, baskets

SCCC

Pollinator plantings

SCCC
SCCC

Lifer garden
Bird houses

WCC

House plants

WCC

Flower gardens

WCCW

Pollinator plantings

Garden designed by incarcerated individuals using native plants, honors
cultural and natural heritage of area and minimizes water needs; continues
to thrive and add visual beauty
Restoration of native vegetation outside the fence; propagated and grew
11 native species
4 acre garden for bees and other pollinators in minimum prison
Feeders throughout the facility; rehoming of baby birds that fall from nests
Nearly 300 houseplants in living units for incarcerated people
All living units have houseplants and numerous staff have plants in theiroffices; plants continue to thrive
Flower gardens for every living unit; continued cultivation of existing flower
beds, front area revamped with increased use of pollinator-friendly
wildflowers
20 bird boxes, 2 bird feeders
Flowers planted by staff and incarcerated residents
Not active during this reporting period; resumed in 2021
~4,000 ft2 of gardens with lots of flower and pollinator plantings
Multiple bird houses and hummingbird feeders around Education Building
and Gate 7; added one special feeder with wood burning art on the side
Houseplants throughout facility (4th floor/hospital area, staff areas);
supplied more plants and decorative wood pots for staff, made 3 new potsfrom recycled barrels for hospital outdoor area
Flowers gardens to benefit human and wildlife well-being
2 living units have fish ponds; the other has a fountain and basin
Each living unit has several garden beds planted and maintained byresidents; hanging baskets and flowering beds throughout the facility forboth staff and incarcerated people
Pollinator plants & flowers in every garden and next to greenhouses forhuman & wildlife well-being; 2 more gardens outside the fence; added
pollinator garden around new beehive area
Large garden space dedicated to incarcerated men not eligible for parole
Added 2 new birdhouses to the existing 40 throughout facility
Plants in all shared and staff areas; due to staff working from home 2,110
house plants were donated in 2020
Flower plantings throughout the campus; began using thermal heating inraised garden bed greenhouses to improve efficiency
Hanging baskets, perennial and annual pollinator-friendly flowers
throughout facility; horticulture group planted additional ~4,000 flowering
plants throughout the grounds

WSPSouthComplex+ MSU

Rental garden boxes

Raised bed garden boxes available to rent by incarcerated individuals;
limited movement during pandemic caused some difficulty in accessing
gardens

WSP-MSU

Pollinator plantings

Flowers gardens, boxes, and baskets; added several new planter boxes anda pollinator garden of clover

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report46

7. Community Contribution Programs
Community contribution programs directly provide services and/or goods to nearby communities. They
involve for example, training pets for adoption or service and donating crafts and products (firewood,
quilts) derived from reclaimed materials. Other community contribution programs provide services suchas habitat restoration and thinning trees.
Typically, these programs are partnerships between prisons and community organizations that helporganizations increase capacity and provide incarcerated individuals with opportunities to contribute to
the world outside the fence. Many of these programs predate the formal SPP partnership; SPPEvergreen’s role is to acknowledge and support these productive partnerships and provide acomprehensive overview of activities taking place statewide. SPP’s conservation and sustainable
operations programs also make community contributions; for example, the Conservation Nurseries
provide thousands of plants to regional restoration.
Overall, these programs were greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the vast majority of
programs (like community work crews and the animal programs) were suspended until further notice.

Dog and Cat Programs
Prior to the pandemic, dog and cat programs
were common in prisons across Washington
State. Nearly all of Washington’s prisons haveone or more partnerships with community
nonprofits for pet programs. Incarcerated
individuals receive education and support fromthose partner organizations to provide excellent
animal care and obedience training, and—in a
few cases—service or therapy training. We haveheard from incarcerated participants and staff
that pet programs are a benefit to all directly
involved, and to the larger prison community as
well. Often participants of these programs
describe working with dogs or cats as
A happy reunion between dog handlers and former dog in thetransformational.
WAG! program at CBCC. Photo by Brian Harmon.
In this reporting period, more than 500 dogs and cats were cared for and trained in WA prison
programs. This number is significantly smaller than years past because most animals were taken out ofprison early on in the pandemic. Further details, where provided, are shown in the following table.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report47

Table 24. Dog and cat programs, July 2019 – December 2020 (see Appendix 3 for abbreviations).
PrisonProgram

Program Partners

AHCC

Pawsitive dog
training

Diamonds in the
Ruff, SpokAnimal,
Spokane Humane
Society

CBCC

Dog training andadoption

Welfare for Animals
Guild (WAG!)

CBCC

Cat program

Welfare for Animals
Guild (WAG!)

CCCC

Training dogs
for veterans

CRCC

Ridge Dogs

CRCC

Service dogs forveterans

LCC

Dog Adoption
ProgramLCC

Cat Adoption
Program

MCCSOUCat program

Purrfect Pals

MCCTRUDog training andadoption

Summit Assistance
Dogs

Pawsitive Prison
Project
Dog training andadoption*
Service dogs forveterans

Kitsap Humane
Society
Olympia Peninsula
Humane Society
Brigadoon Service
Dogs

MCCCW
OCC
SCCC

Brigadoon Service
Dogs
Benton Franklin
Humane, AdamCounty Pet Rescue
Brigadoon Service
Dogs
Humane Society forSouthwest WA(HSSW)
West Columbia
Gorge Humane
Society, HSSW

Highlights, if provided
Program is 100% self-sustainable by community
donations and fundraising with art and crafts projects
donated to Spokane Humane Society. Despite programsuspension due to COVID-19, 174 dogs graduated fromthe program at the end of the 26th session. The
Sustainability Lab created and donated dog vests to
Spokane Humane Society and Diamonds in the Ruff. Reunion event held to bring together dog, new owners,
and former handlers.
Dogs temporarily removed due to COVID-19 and thenreturned to later be adopted in December 2020. Classes
continued without dogs.
Cats were removed from the facility in March 2020 due
to COVID-19 but returned a few weeks later. The
program successfully fostered and adopted out 65
cats/kittens during this reporting period.
Program currently has 5 trainers, 5 secondary trainers,
and 5 dogs. 3 dogs graduated in the last year.
132 dogs graduated from the program in the past year!
Program currently has 2 dogs and is looking to expand to
4. The goal is to maintain 8 trainers and 2 assistants forthe program.
3 dogs were trained, and 30 dogs and 6 puppies wereadopted by HSSW and rescue partners.

25 kittens and 6 adult cats were fostered since Jan 2020;
most have been adopted out. Over 900 cats have been
adopted since 2006.
Program was suspended in March 2020 due to COVID19. 4 dogs returned in Dec 2020 and are currently being
trained.

Program was suspended due to COVID-19 and plan tostart again in Fall 2021.
4 dogs were trained to the needs of individual veteransin the past year. 4 more dogs are still in training.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

48

WCCW

Prison Pet
Partnership

Self-supportingBlue Mountain
Humane Society
WSPWalla Walla Humane
Dog Program*
MSU
Society*indicates program is currently suspended
WSP

This is the first in-prison pet program in the country! In
the past year, 32 dogs were trained, 11 companion
animals were adopted, 7 service dogs were placed, and
18 incarcerated people were employed.

BAR Units kitten
program

Program is currently suspended

A dog handler (pictured left) at WCC
and his dog in training, Biscuit, attend
an SPP Workshop on climate change inJanuary 2020. What a fun confluence
between SPP programs! Photo by Erica
Benoit.

Reclaim, Repurpose or Restore, and Donate Programs
Consistent with the earliest days of SPP programs, WA prisons strive to “throw nothing away,” totransform potential refuse into something of value. In some cases, these programs’ creations directly
meet an organization’s need: donating quilts to a shelter for people experiencing homelessness,refurbished computers for schools, and growing produce for food banks. In other cases, programs
donate handmade or restored creations for organizations’ fundraising events. Some of these programs
were adapted to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) that was desperately needed during
the pandemic. These programs are best illustrated by statewide numbers presented in the following
table. These numbers are likely underrepresented due to reduced capacity for reporting from facilities
this reporting period.
Table 25. Community contribution programs statewide, July 2019 – December 2020 (see Appendix 3 forabbreviations).
Garden area

Reported Statewide Totals (approximations)
22+ acres cultivatedHighest Impact Facility
WSP institutional garden: 10.5 acres

Produce grown

243,300+ lbs. to food banks & prison kitchens

WSP institutional garden: 88,584 lbs.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report49

Crafts & furnishingsfrom reclaimed
materials

24,000+ items donated

WSP’s Sustainable Practices Lab (SPL):
22,175 items

Refurbished bicycles andwheelchairs

1,326 repaired and donated

MCC-WSR: 822 items

17,268 computers and laptops
1,190 cords donated49,361 items (i.e. masks, face shields, andbarriers)

AHCC: All
AHCC: 1,000 cords

Refurbished computers
Firewood
COVID-19 PPE

WSP’s SPL: 20,785 items

Above: An impressive array of toy boxes created in the
Toys for Tots program at CRCC. Photo by Erica Benoit.
Left: Screenshot of Washington Corrections social media
post from July 2019 about the AHCC Quilting Program.

Table 26. Community contribution programs to reclaim, repurpose, restore, or donate, July 2019 –December 2020 (see Appendix 3 for abbreviations).
PrisonPrograms

Program Partners

AHCC

SPL: Quilting

Blessings Under the Bridge, AHCC
Medical End of Life Patients,
Catholic Charities of Eastern
Washington

AHCC

Computers 4
Kids

Office of the Superintendent of
Public Instruction, WA
Department of Enterprise Services

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

Highlights
Fabric is repurposed to create quilts for
donation. 12 quilts were started before
COVID-19. The program converted to mask
making for the incarcerated population andmade approximately 5,200 masks!
In the past year, 3,183 computers wererefurbished for schools, plus 13,544 tosurplus. Technicians refurbished 541 laptops
to aid state employees working from home

50

AHCC

Firewood
donation

Spokane Neighborhood Action
Partners (SNAP)

AHCC

Gardens

CBCC

Vegetable
gardens

Clallam Bay Food Bank

CBCC

Ozette potato
program

Local tribes

CCCC

Gardens

Centralia College, Littlerock School
District

CCCC

Construction:tiny homes

Centralia College

CRCCMSU

Gardens,
Minimum

CRCCMain

Gardens, Main

Harvest Now

CRCC

Teddy bears
from reclaimed
materials

Hospitals, API events held at CRCC,
ARC of Tri-Cities, Franklin County
Sheriff’s Office

LCC

Wood craft
donations

Friends of the Carpenter,
Skamania Fly Fisher’s Assoc.

MCCTRU

Gardens

MCCTRU

Community
Aide Coalition:
quilting,

Over the Rainbow Fabrics, Dolly
Haakenson, clothing and textile
advisors of Snohomish County

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Reportdue to the pandemic. Incarcerated
technicians learn basic diagnostics and cantest for certification, plus learn office skills(Excel, Access) and shipping skills (e.g.,
forklift experience).
Crews prepared approximately 1,000 cords
to deliver to SNAP clients prior to COVID-19
program suspension. DNR provides wildland
fire trainings and prison staff provide
firewood and chipper trainings.
8,318 total pounds of produce was grownand donated to the community.
~1,400 lbs. of produce was grown anddonated: 972 lbs. to the Clallam Bay Food
Bank and 423 lbs. to the CBCC kitchen.
Program grows Ozette and Peruvian Purple
seed potatoes for donation to local tribe tohelp replenish cultural staples: 125 lbs. given
to Makah Tribe.
~10,000 ft2 of gardens yielded ~15,000 lbs.
of produce. Program also grew pumpkins for
prison family events.
6 tiny homes were built for people
experiencing homelessness community and2 chassis for larger “tiny cottages.”
The garden was moved inside of the fence toprovide more jobs for incarcerated
individuals; ~72% of produce grown was
donated to local food banks.
Each unit provided two small gardens,
creating jobs for incarcerated individuals.
Despite temporary suspension due to
COVID-19, incarcerated individuals created
and donated ~50 stuffed animals to childrenof incarcerated individuals and the Parenting
Inside Out program.
Program created and donated 18 jewelryboxes.
Nearly 8,000 lbs. of produce was grown:
7,600 lbs. donated to local food banks andschools, and 386 lbs. went to the prison
kitchen.
The sewing group with Community Aide
Coalition provided 5,184 hours and donated120 quilts. The program converted to mask

51

crochet, textile
arts

donate materials; crafts donatedto Interfaith Family Shelter,
Westlake Shelter, Hope Crew,
Swedish, Evergreen, Seattle
Children’s and Providence
Hospitals, Rainbow Center,
Evergreen Hospice, Little Bit
Therapeutic Riding Center, Summit
Assistance Dogs, Holy Rosary
Church, Rotary First Harvest, East
County and Monroe Senior Center,and many more.
City of Monroe donates seeds andsoilmaking for the incarcerated population,
sewing over 7,000 cloth masks!

MCCWSR

City of Monroe
public flowers

MCCWSR

Vegetable
gardens

CI Food Services donated seeds

MCCWSRSPL Bicycles
from Heaven

Bikes donated by Snohomish
County Sheriff, Monroe PD,
Marysville PD, Everett PD; donatedto Snohomish County Boys & GirlsClub and the City of Sultan for
National Night Out

Program restored and donated 45 bikes toBoys & Girls Club. To date, more than 400
bikes have been refurbished and donated!

MCCWSR

SPL Wheelchair
program

Wheels for the World

777 wheelchairs were restored and shippedto the Philippines, Ghana, Global Aid
Network, and Uganda.

MCCCW

GRACE
(Gardening for
Restoration andConservation
Education)
Project

Kitsap Conservation District,
Central Kitsap Foodbank

Crews worked 253 hours before programsuspension due to COVID-19 in March 2020.

MCCCW

Vegetable
gardens

North Mason Food Bank

Wood shop

Quileute HS scholarships, Cherish
our Children, Forks Lions Club,
CASA, Quillayute Valley School
District, Relay for Life, Forks
Chamber of Commerce, Timber
Museum, Calm Waters and Forks
Soroptimists; wood from Westport
Shipyard and OCC Community
Crews (DNR)

OCC

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

Over 2,500 begonias were grown for city
flower beds.
17,430 ft2 of garden space was added.
11,360 lbs. of produce was grown: 6,565 lbs.
donated to Arlington Food Bank and 4,795
lbs. for prison kitchen.

720 ft2 of garden space grew ~1,100 lbs. of
produce: 520 lbs. to the food bank and 572
lbs. for the prison kitchen.
Annually, OCC donates outdoor furniture,
wood toys and games, and other crafts to
Quillayute Valley School District Scholarship
auction. Picnic tables were designed andbuilt for the Forks Timber Museum
fundraiser, and signs were built to replace
existing signs for the Korean War Veterans
Highway and City of Forks parks and city
office.

52

OCC

Firewood

OCC

Vegetable
gardens

SCCC

Gardens andgreenhouses

SCCC

Food bankfundraisers

SCCC

Bicycle Repair

SCCC
SCCC
SCCC

Wheelchair
Repair
SBU Knitting
Class
Teddy Bear
Program

SCCC

COVID-19
Community
Fundraiser

SCCC

Special Events –Community Art
Show

WCC

Plant starts

Olycap, Quillayute Valley
Scholarship Auction, Lake Quinault
Fire Department, OCC Community
Crews (DNR)

190 cords of firewood were cut and donatedfor Native American programs and othercharities.

Peninsula College, Sunshine andRainbows Child Development
Center, Quileute Tribe~2,000 lbs. of potatoes and 500 lbs. of otherproduce were grown and donated to theForks Food Bank. Additional 2,000 lbs. of
potatoes and other produce were used in
the prison kitchen.

Coastal Harvest Food Bank,
Harvest Now
Urban League of Metropolitan
Seattle, Caring for Kids, Toy Time,
Bicycles from Heaven, Bears from
Behind Bars, Spokane Valley
Partners Food Bank and Family
Services, Coastal Harvest, Beyond
Survival
Lions Club
Wheels for the World
Family Promise
Family Promise

2 local restaurants, 2 local
bakeries

Hoodsport Kiwanis

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

65,725 lbs. of produce was donated!

Incarcerated individuals and staff raised anddonated ~$20,000 for nonprofits anddonated 3,732 food items to Coastal Harvest
Food Bank.

292 bikes were repaired and donated in thepast year.
212 wheelchairs were repaired, though
shipments were delayed due to COVID-19.
80 miscellaneous sized hats and 1 blanket
were donated.
30 teddy bears were created and donated.
$913 was donated to Family Promise. $1,205
was donated to SCCC sustainability accountfor incarcerated people. $165 was donatedto the incarcerated redemption account.
Outside guests attended an art show within
the facility, which resulted in community
partnerships and incarcerated individuals’
art displayed throughout the community.
Large piece of art sold for $1,500.00, which
went to Aberdeen High School for
scholarships. Various other art projects weresold by several participating organizations inwhich proceeds went to various charities.
Program grew starts in spring of 2020. Due
to COVID-19 restrictions Hoodsport Kiwanis
donated most of the plants back to theprison.

53

WCC

Vegetable
gardens

WCC

Shoe andclothing
repurposing

WCCW

WCCW

WSP

WSPSPL

Gardens andgreenhouses
Sisters ofCharity: quilts,
fabric crafts,
wildlife rescue
Gardens andgreenhouses:
Institutional
Sustainability
GardenOverview ofnumerous SPL
programs,
some detailed
below

WSPSPL

SPL: Wood
Shop & Wood
Carving
SPL: Furniture
RepairWSP –SPL

SPL: Art
Program

WSPSPL

SPL: Quilting

WSPSPL

SPL: GreenZone

WSPSPL

Hoodsport Food Bank, Matlock
Community Church, Thurston
County Food Bank, Saint Pantry
Food Bank

Despite a cool early growing season, 15
incarcerated individuals grew 30,140 lbs. of
produce in 61,344 ft2 garden space! Half was
donated to local food banks.

CI

DOC facilities send used clothes to WCC forreuse and recycling; program processed
12,470 lbs. of t-shirt, boxer shorts, and socks
in the past year.

Tacoma CC, WSU Extension, Pierce
CountyCommunity members donate
supplies; various charities receive
items

14,978 items were created and donated:
1,853 Tyvek gowns, 12,523 masks, 527
release bags, 66 quilts, and 9 sets ofcurtains for tiny houses.

Donated to Blue Mountain Action
Council and New Beginnings

Despite COVID-19 impacts, 16,212 lbs. of
produce was grown, which was either
donated to charities or used in prison
kitchenReceive materials donations frompartners; donated to 550 charities
since start of SPL in 2012

Various nonprofits partners

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

Program donated 9,000+ items to nonprofitsand provided 12,750 items for state use. All
technicians receive education and training.
COVID-19 was a large focus for SPL: 20,785
COVID-19 related items (face shields,
barriers, and over 15,000 masks) were madeout of donated fabric for the community andstate.
2,609 items were created for state use.
1,943 items created and donated to
nonprofits and charities.
1,929 pieces of institutional furniture were
repaired and put back into use.
More than 492 unique and amazing
paintings were created using recycled palletwood and old bedsheets for canvas, whichwere donated to various charities.
Using donated or cast-off fabric and thread,
constructed 480+ lap quilts, quilts, andblankets for charity.
8,900 lbs. of produce was donated to Walla
Walla Senior Center and local soup kitchens,in response to increased need for meals due
to COVID-19. Farm to school still operated
this year with the local school districts, andSPL supplied 1,200 starter plants and 2,000

54

WSPSPL

SPL: Water
treatment
systems

Project 41, Ohio State University,
Duke University, Suez, Worldwide
assist, Assist International

lbs. of compost. Educational learning foryouth was also provided by Farm to schoolorganizers.
New, larger scale water filter system projectis in the planning stages: 5-year project with
300 large water filters to be constructed at
SPL for large-scale project throughout theNavajo Nation.

AHCC donated an impressive amount of
produce (8,318 pounds!) in response to theeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo by WA Corrections.

Community Work Crews
Many incarcerated residents of minimum-security prisons (LCC, OCC, MCCCW, and CCCC) and units(Minimum Security Unit = “MSU”) may have the opportunity to join offsite crews working on public
lands and community organization sites. The work can allow positive reconnection with outsidecommunities. Unfortunately, the pandemic greatly limited the work of these crews, and many of themshifted to working within the grounds instead.
In all, it is estimated that 1,914 incarcerated individuals were employed in these crews during thisreporting period. With so many programs statewide, SPP still has much to learn about if and how these
programs fit the SPP model. Reported details are shown in the table below.
Table 27. Community work crew special projects, July 2019 – December 2020 (see Appendix 3 forabbreviations).
PrisonPrograms

ProgramPartners

AHCC

Forestry

DNR

CCCC

Forestry

DNR

Highlights
Crews work various timberlands including State Parks, regionalparks, and private lands. Crews participate in careful planningand management of forest lands to aid in conservation ofnatural resources.
Off-site crews are trained in and practice re-forestation, woodcutting, land clearing, and forest firefighting and fire prevention.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

55

CCCC

Community
work

Multipleagencies

LCC

Forestry

DNR, USFS, Deptof Ecology

LCC

Community
work

MCCCW

Conservation
crews

MCCCW

GRACE
Project

Multipleagencies

KitsapConservation
District, Great
PeninsulaConservancy,
Jefferson Land
Trust, WSDOT,
WDFW,
Suquamish Tribe
Fisheries
KitsapConservation
District,Central Kitsap
Foodbank

OCC

Community
Crew

DNR, otheragencies

OCC

Forestry

DNR, otheragencies

WSPMSU

Communitycrew

Crews were dispatched to numerous fire projects and local
wildfires, receiving recognition and appreciation from
community members for their efforts.
155 incarcerated individuals performed community work,
providing a total of 16,050 hours of work for local, county,
nonprofit and state agencies. Services included development ofparks and recreational areas, litter clean-up, restoration atMima Mounds, and removal of invasive/noxious weeds.
Crews planted ~541,000 trees across 1,500 acres over thecourse of 241 crew days. Crews were also dispatched to 28 fires,preparing and serving 15,726 meals, for a total of 19,042 hours
of work. 63 crew members have been certified as Firefighter 2.
Other services include forest fuel reduction, litter clean-up, andtrail and campground maintenance.
Services include farming, reforestation, wood-cutting, brush anddebris clearing, general landscaping, processing vegetables atfood pantry, noxious weed removal, salmon habitat restoration,watershed improvement, development of parks andrecreational areas, and other work to conserve natural
resources.

Services include planting projects, invasive weed removal, creek
and estuary flood control.

Rotating crews grow vegetables for foodbank donation.

Services include lawn and grounds care, trail improvements,
brush cutting, fire-wood cutting, weed removal, storm debris
clean up, stream restoration, fence construction, greenhouse
construction, snow removal, some painting and construction.
Off-site crews are trained in and practice reforestation, woodcutting, land clearing, and forest firefighting and fire prevention.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, work crews have been working on
facility grounds for maintenance and landscaping.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report56

8. Sustainable Operations
Sustainable Operations programs are unique as they are managed by a dedicated WA Corrections’Sustainable Operations Manager (also author of this section); this position was created by WA
Corrections to monitor and reduce the environmental, economic, and human costs of prisons. Major
sustainable operations initiatives include greenhouse gas emissions, energy, waste, and potable water
use reductions.
Though this section typically provides energy, water, and waste data, those details are not available thisreporting period. Over the past year, WA Corrections staff have been invested in the transition to a newdata management system. WA Corrections expects this system to be operational mid-2021, which will
result in more robust data collection and reporting. In light of this, we expect the next SPP annual report
to include both 2020 and 2021 sustainable operations data. If you’d like more information, visit
https://www.doc.wa.gov/about/business/capital-planning/contact.htm for relevant WA Corrections
contacts.
Overall, the events of this past year significantly disrupted normal sustainable operations. Statewide
recycling efforts slowed significantly or were halted altogether in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Progress on other fronts, including greenhouse gas emissions, energy, and potable water use reductions
remained fairly consistent and also benefited from concentrated attention on program development.
The following section provides updates on recent sustainable operations initiatives.

Partnerships
Opportunities to Collaborate on Sustainable Operations and Energy Reductions
WA Corrections continues to support work with the State Efficiency and Environmental Performance(SEEP) Office. DOC participates actively in several of SEEP’s work groups, as well as the Guidance Council
and Governing Council. The results over the past year include collaborative processes, policy work, andfunding requests with other state agencies to move the work of greenhouse gas emissions and toxics
reductions forward. It has been a rewarding and productive partnership.
Sustainable Corrections Infrastructure Partnership
WA Corrections committed to the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Sustainable Corrections
Infrastructure Partnership (SCIP) Accelerator. SCIP is a voluntary initiative to partner with state
governments interested in accelerating energy and water efficiency, renewable energy, storage
technologies, and energy management in their public correctional facilities while maintaining thesector’s priorities of security and resilience.
Over the next three years, DOC will strive for portfolio-wide energy savings of 20%, as well as operating
and maintenance cost savings by identifying and demonstrating solutions leveraging energy and water
efficiency, renewable energy, and storage technologies. WA Corrections is working on three project
areas and receiving technical assistance from the Department of Energy. Initial project areas focus on

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report57the utilization of renewable energy and storage technologies to reduce the operational andmaintenance cost of our facility UPS systems while increasing the facilities’ resiliency.

Program Foundations and Planning
New Asset Management Program and Sustainability Database and Reporting System
Efforts this reporting period have been focused on transitioning to a new asset and sustainable
operations management system, which replaces both the computerized maintenance management
system and sustainable operations data management system. The new system will not only trackrecycling and waste generation activity but also more nuanced data related to building energy systems,
predictive capital planning tools, and facility maintenance management. These last two components willbe critical for successfully reaching our goals of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, resource
conservation, energy and water use reductions, better workplace environments for those supporting
our mission, and better living environments for incarcerated people.
WA Corrections has long held the premise that comprehensive planning and a robust, proactive
maintenance program is the most cost-effective energy conservation measure at our disposal. There isalso a rule of thumb that the simple act of monitoring energy usage can result in a five percent decreasein energy use. Ultimately, proactive facility maintenance and energy management results in energy
conservation and cost avoidance. With this in mind, the new management system will assist in thedevelopment and maintenance of an energy management plan and will help facilities plan for andmanage facility maintenance. In particular, the asset planning module of the software allows for tracking
of facility equipment needs, which will aid in communicating those needs efficiently and proactively tobuild timely funding requests and budgets. This is worthwhile because deferred maintenance can resultin higher energy consumption, major equipment failures, risk to safety and operations, and premature
replacement of equipment.

Vehicle Fuel Use Reductions
Electric Vehicle Perimeter Patrol Pilot
Over the past few years, WA Corrections has been steadily increasing its use of electric vehicles foradministrative uses and slowly expanding charging infrastructure. During this reporting period, theDepartment also kicked off a new pilot of all-electric vehicles (EV) for perimeter patrol use. The
department had previously conducted pilot projects with the first generation of EVs both in theapplication of perimeter patrol and other business services and custody needs. Those initial trials
revealed some challenges and shortcomings, which delayed further adoption of all electric vehicles atthat time.
The new trial tested both non-traditional low-speed vehicles and traditional all-electric sedans asperimeter patrol vehicles at SCCC. This pilot, though not concluded, indicates a low acceptance of the
low-speed all-electric vehicles and greater success with the traditional all-electric sedans for both
vehicle performance and staff acceptance. The result is that WA Corrections, in collaboration with SEEP,

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report58has requested funding to install EV chargers at 12 prisons and 8 work release facilities. This project willallow DOC to use EVs as perimeter patrol vehicles that operate continuously, something that EVs are
better suited for than gas-powered vehicles. All in all, this would result in savings of $1M per year in fuelcosts alone. The total cost of ownership is also assumed to be lower for EVs resulting in additional costsavings related to vehicle maintenance. Conclusions from the pilot project still currently underway will
be reported to affirm the validity of these expected benefits prior to implementing EV perimeter patrols
statewide.

EnergyDuring this reporting period, WA Corrections focused heavily on energy project planning anddevelopment. Several energy audits were completed, and energy conservation projects have gotten
underway. Summaries of the main projects follow.
 CRCC Campus-wide Re-lighting and HVAC Recommissioning Project: CRCC is comprised of two
campuses: an older minimum custody facility and a newer medium custody facility. Completed
in 2008, the medium custody facility is the nation’s first LEED Gold correctional complex. In thepast few years, the facility has seen energy increases, which were attributed to the “drift” in thefacility’s HVAC energy management controls system (EMCS). While the system is in goodcondition, sensors and equipment calibration drift over time and should be recommissioned tomatch actual building conditions. The existing system has been in operation for over 10 years,
and the minimum-security campus relied on outdated thermostats, rather than an EMCS. The
proposed solution was to install a matching EMCS system at the minimum custody facility andrecommission the existing EMCS at the medium custody facility to match actual building
conditions. This project allows for opportunities to reduce energy consumption and optimize
system performance by eliminating simultaneous heating and cooling, optimizing schedules andset points, and identifying individual equipment that is driving heating/cooling loads on theentire system. Efforts also include inspecting and calibrating individually controlled devices forproper operation and replacing or repairing any malfunctioning equipment discovered during
the audit.
 LCC Biomass Boiler Project: LCC is currently heated with an outdated and failing fuel oil hot
water heating system. Two out of three boilers in the central plant have failed completely, andthe underground hot water distribution system is experiencing significant leakage in spite ofpiecemeal attempts at repairs. The major energy efficiency upgrade will require replacing thefailed backup boilers with a single new back-up boiler, replacing the hot water distribution loop,
and adding a connection point for the new planned biomass boiler facility – a modern, efficientwood energy system. LCC currently uses about 74,000 gallons of fuel oil per year. The
installation of the commercial production biomass boiler and fuel handling system will result inannual usage of only 2,470 gallons of fuel oil and 759 tons of wood fuel sourced locally fromforestry by-products. This project will also reduce the facility’s net greenhouse gas emissions
from heating by 461 metric tons per year (91%), and will be the first of its kind among state
facilities in Washington, providing a leading example for agencies pursuing state greenhouse gas
reduction goals. The project will also provide a valuable market for local forestry byproducts,
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

59





supporting the beneficial use of these byproducts and reducing forest fire risk. WA Corrections
has received $750,000 in grant funding for the project and has applied for additional funds tofulfill funding needs. The anticipated project start is spring of 2021.
CBCC Co-Generation and Boiler Replacement Project: The co-generation project at CBCC will
provide the facility with site-generated electricity by capturing heat that is normally wasted,resulting in improved energy efficiency, reduced carbon emissions and energy costs. It will also
provide the facility with some additional resiliency and energy security. The facility will also
replace end of life boilers with new hydronic boilers to improve overall performance andincrease plant capacity. Additional measures of the replacement include optimization of theassociated heat exchangers, circulation pumps, feed water pumps and controls. Additionalenergy conservation measures included in this campus-wide energy project are:o replacement of interior and exterior lighting with high performance LED to reduce
electricity consumption
o replacement of the EMCS to improve equipment performance and monitoringo replacement of domestic water valves and addition of water controls to all plumbed cell
units to drastically reduce domestic water consumptiono addition of sub-metering to all campus buildings to provide visibility of building-bybuilding energy consumption, laying the groundwork to meet the new Clean Buildings
Legislation (see below)
o refurbishment of the heat recovery loop to recover waste heat from exhaust air streams
and renew air handling equipment back to its initial functionality
o retro-commissioning of campus buildings to identify and correct issues in the HVAC
system, improving equipment performance and monitoringo investment in building capital planning and building maintenance softwareo robust preventive maintenance program to achieve energy, waste, water and toxics
reductions
Clean Buildings Legislation: The objective of the new Clean Buildings Legislation, HB1257, is tolower costs and pollution from fossil fuel consumption in the state’s existing buildings, especiallylarge commercial buildings. In particular, the legislation requires buildings of 50,000 square feetand larger to meet a target Energy Use Intensity (EUI) by 2026. In the meantime, building
owners must demonstrate proof of progress towards compliance with the new standards or riska financial penalty. To this end, WA Corrections conducted an initial survey prioritizing thefacilities directly impacted by the legislation to identify where energy consumption meters arenecessary to meet the legislative requirements. The Department has also initiated a moredetailed audit to develop a metering installation and funding plan for all campuses. The
Department is working closely with SEEP on the development of an Energy Management Plan
guidance document and template to facilitate an efficient, effective response to the goals
supported by this legislation.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report60

WaterWA Corrections also received funding to begin reclaimed water projects at two Washington corrections
facilities. Summaries of the projects follow.
 Connecting WCC to the City of Shelton’s reclaimed water line: This project will install a newwater line and water meter from the reclaimed water line located across the street from WCC. It
will also route reclaimed water lines to select locations throughout the facility, install a storagetank, and a pressure pumping system. This project will allow WCC to use reclaimed water in lieu
of domestic well water for irrigation, greenhouses, composting, and laundry.
 Connecting AHCC to the City of Airway Heights’ reclaimed water line: This project will install a
new water meter and water lines from the reclaimed water line located just outside the AHCC
perimeter. It will also route reclaimed water lines to select locations throughout the facility,
install a storage tank, and a pressure pumping system. The AHCC currently uses potable water
for irrigation. Using reclaimed water for irrigation at the facility can reduce its use of potablewater by up to 50% during the summer months. AHCC will also be able to use reclaimed waterfor greenhouses, composting, and laundry.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report61

9. Sustainability Job Programs
SPP programs offer incarcerated participants job training, education, and sustainable living skills andways to contribute to communities and ecosystems. The list included in Table 28 shows all WA
Corrections sustainability job program placements during this reporting period (data provided by WA
Corrections staff’s OMNI system; where job programs are known to be very similar, SPP-Evergreen
combined those programs). These job programs represent an enormous variety of activities, most ofwhich were initiated and run with little-to-no input from SPP-Evergreen partners. SPP-Evergreen aims topromote and support the educational enrichment of every program, and will continue to build
partnerships and capacity toward this goal. To this end, the list includes all jobs documented andreported by WA Corrections staff involving sustainability, science, and contact with non-human nature,
though we have removed a handful of job categories (such as groundskeepers or firewood stackers)
which may be less relevant due to lack of sustainability/science education and training. This table also
leaves out sustainability jobs that have been coded in a non-sustainability category (e.g. techniciansworking on composting and aquaponics at SCCC, and electricians who install energy efficient fixtures).

Two beekeepers at SCCC check the hives. Photo by Joslyn Trivett.

Approximately 3,710 incarcerated individuals held sustainability-related jobs during this reporting
period, which is approximately 24% of the 15,644 people incarcerated in WA prisons in December, 2020.
Additional individuals “volunteer” or participate in sustainability education programs and theircontributions are not reflected here.
Table 28. Sustainability Job Programs in WA Prisons, July 2019 – December 2020. Note: Does not include“volunteers” (see above) and students (see Education).
Sustainability Job Program
Aquaponics# of Sites# of Individuals

2

7

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report62Bee Conservation Tech / Class Facilitator

415

Bicycle Repair

12

Bike & Wheelchair Repair

113

Butterfly Rearing Tech

2

29

Cat Handler

4

138

Chicken Handler

1

24

Community Work Crews (includes 13 Clerks)

9923

Compost Worker / Food Waste Recycler

327Computer Refurbishing

1

16

Cultural Crafts Program2

13

Dog Handler (includes service trainers)

13

278

Dog Walker

323

Forestry I Worker

4977

Forestry II Worker

1

14

Gardening, Organic

1

91

Horticulture I Worker

11

226

Horticulture Worker II

3

31

Prairie Plant Conservation

3

63

Re-Use Fabric-Sustainable / Quilting

2

44

Recycling Worker / Recycling & Reclamation

14

584

Root of Success Trainer

824

Sheep Farming

1

20

Sustainability Clerk / Analyst

413Turtle Technician

2

16

Waste Treatment Helper

12Waste Treatment Operator I

330

Waste Treatment Operator II

2

17

Wood Working

1

2

Worm Farm Worker / Vermiculture

6

48

TOTAL

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

3,710

63

10. Research and Evaluation
Overall, options and opportunities for program evaluation and research involving people in prisons are
greatly reduced. This section provides updates on evaluation occurring in SPP programs, research withexternal partners, as well as SPP involvement in graduate student theses.

SPP-Evergreen Program Evaluation
With WA Corrections Research and Data Analytics (RDA) staff support, SPP-Evergreen has regularly
conducted quality assessment surveys with two types of program participants: Environmental Workshop
Series students and Ecological Conservation technicians. Survey collection in these programs is notconsidered research, as they represent assessments of program quality that are used to create
improvements. During this reporting period, the Workshop Series surveys were updated and improved
based on incarcerated participants’ feedback, as well as established research from the Cornell Lab ofOrnithology. The updated surveys were briefly implemented in all workshop series host sites withapparent success. Unfortunately, all surveying in SPP programs was suspended in light of pandemic
restrictions. The survey data collected in SPP-Evergreen programs thus far has not yet been analyzed.
On a biennial basis, SPP-Evergreen analyzes data related to demographics and recidivism for three setsof SPP program participants: Roots of Success instructors, Roots of Success graduates (students), andEcological Conservation technicians. This data was previously analyzed and reported in the SPP FY19
Annual Report; 2020 did not represent a year in which we request and analyze this data. For more
information on the latest findings, see http://sustainabilityinprisons.org/resources/spp-results/.

Research with External Partners
Astrobiology for the Incarcerated Program Evaluation
As previously reported, SPP-Evergreen worked with the Astrobiology for the Incarcerated program teamand research professionals working for NASA and University of Utah to synthesize survey results fromAstrobiology for the Incarcerated lectures that occurred in WA, Ohio, and Florida. Led by Nalini Nadkarni
at University of Utah, the team analyzed a substantial data set of pre- and post-program surveys
assessing knowledge and attitudes. The resulting academic paper titled Effects of Astrobiology Lectures
on Knowledge and Attitudes about Science in Incarcerated Populations was officially published in theprestigious Astrobiology journal in October 2020.
Findings showed that participants exhibited increased science content knowledge, positively shifted
attitudes about science and scientists, increased sense of science self-identity, and enhanced behavioral
intentions about communicating science. The most significant finding as stated in the paper was that“even limited exposure to voluntary, non-credit science lectures delivered by scientists can be aneffective way to broker a relationship to science for this underserved public group and can potentiallyserve as a step to broaden participation in science” (Nadkarni, et al., 2020).

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

64

SPP also assisted in additional research led by Nalini Nadkarni on the effects of virtual natureexperiences on incarcerated men. An academic paper based on this research is set to be published in
2021.
Institute for Human-Animal Connection
Building on work done by Dr. Kevin Morris with the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at Denver
University (DU), he and students from DU’s Graduate School of Social Work worked with WA Corrections
RDA to survey and obtain data on two groups in prisons statewide: incarcerated individuals who
participate in dog training programs and a similar group of individuals who haven’t participated. In
particular, the group of researchers analyzed the impact of WA prison dog program participation onrecidivism rates. They have prepared a draft manuscript, which is expected to be published in the near
future. Findings support the investment WA Corrections has made in these programs.
Student Theses
Master of Environmental Studies
student Graham Klag completed histhesis analyzing the effectiveness of anexperimental growing method for the
Early blue violet (Viola adunca), thelarval host plant of the endangered
Oregon silverspot butterfly. The SPP
Conservation Nursery at SCCC provided
the conditions to grow 36 vegetative
mats of coconut coir as well as thestudy’s control plant plugs, thetraditional restoration planting
Graham (pictured middle) and incarcerated technicians look on
method. The project was successful
and speak about the vegetative mats of Viola adunca central to
thanks to dedicated support from SCCC
his thesis research. Photo by SPP Staff.
nursery technicians and staff. Results
indicated that the vegetative mats grew Viola adunca more effectively than the control plug plots, apromising finding for supporting the butterfly’s survival and recovery. To learn more about Graham’s
research, visit https://arcg.is/998KK2.
Master of Environmental Studies graduate Erica Benoit completed her thesis project analyzing theconnections between the prison food environment and the phenomenon of food deserts. Using
quantitative and qualitative data collected by Impact Justice from formerly incarcerated people about
their prison food experience, she tested parameters related to the food desert experience to see how
they lined up with the prison food experience. Preliminary findings show a lot of similarities between
the two experiences with some key differences. While Erica’s thesis data is not directly related to SPP’swork, her findings are still relevant to the prison context and have important implications. To find out
more, read Erica’s thesis or Impact Justice’s larger report. Both inform SPP’s larger goal of working with
WA Corrections to improve access to fresh produce grown in WA State prisons.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report6511. SPP Network
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SPP had significantly less contact with network connections during thisreporting period. We maintain high value for connectivity as a means to improve programs and increase
access to education. Partners intend to continue aligning goals, bolstering capacity through effective
partnerships and improving communications going forward.

SPP in Washington State
Staff at SPP-Evergreen maintained contact with all Washington state prisons during the July 2019 –December 2020 reporting period. With the exception of OCC, every prison in WA hosts one or moreprograms coordinated by SPP-Evergreen including beekeeping, Roots of Success, and ecologicalconservation programs. Posted below is a summary of SPP-Evergreen’s new and project-specificcontacts within the state.
Table 29. SPP-Evergreen's significant contacts in Washington State, July 2019 – December 2020.
New and Project-Specific Contacts
Organization
Stewardship Partners
Black Prisoners Caucus
WA Dept of Children Youth and Families
King County Facilities Mgmt Division
Olympia Community Solar
Community volunteer beekeepers
Restoration Ecology class, University of WA
Tacoma & Seattle campuses
University of Washington Nature & Healthgroup
Education Navigators, 13 colleges statewide
Un-loopInterest in SPP
Workshop on storm water; potential for future workshops
Support for Circle of Life Garden proposal
Beekeeping programs in juvenile facilities
Sustainable operations
New partnership to provide solar energy education materials forincarcerated students
Supported their plans for beekeeping and education at McNeil
Island Stewardship program
Presentation to restoration ecology classes; students at UW
Tacoma developed environmental education learning activities
for use in prisonsNorthwest Nature and Health Symposium and otheropportunities to collaborate
Post-release guidance in navigating higher education
Web development and reentry mentorships

SPP Nationally and Internationally
SPP is recognized by other countries, states, and counties for leadership in environmental education andnature programs in prisons. New interest and involvement in SPP-model programs continues to grow,and ongoing relationships and learning exchanges are flourishing. While the “SPP Network” is lessformal than in years past, the number and significance of contacts continues to expand.
In this reporting period, we provided information and/or shared resources with at least 36 organizations
and individuals. The following table provides a summary, and national interest in SPP-model
programming is also summarized in Figure 3.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report66

Table 30. SPP-Evergreen's national and international contacts, July 2019 – December 2020 (seeAppendix 3 for abbreviations).
New and ongoing contacts:
Title/profession, organization
Assistant Professor, Universityof Montevallo
Spring Creek Correctional
CenterPhD Candidate, UC Berkeley
Postdoctoral Scholar, San
Francisco State University
Graduate Student, Colorado
State University in Fort Collins
PhD Student, University ofDenver
Associate Research Professor,
Institute for Human-Animal
Connection, U of Denver
Professor, Norwalk Community
College
Graduate Student, Georgetown
University
Florida Department ofCorrections
Chair, Georgia Beekeepers
Association Prison Program
Idaho Department ofCorrections
Undergraduate student,
University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign
Kentucky Correctional Institutefor Women
Conference coordinator,
Boston College
Berkshire Agricultural Ventures
Camp program manager, Deptof Conservation and Natural
Resources Division of Forestry
First Deputy Commissioner,
Westchester County DOC

Interest in SPP

StateCountry

Interested in sustainability programs for
Alabama correctional facilities

Alabama

USA

Interested in beekeeping programs

AlaskaUSA

Interested in restoration projects and research

California

USA

Science education in prisons

California

USA

Colorado

USA

Colorado

USA

Studying impacts of pet programs in prisons;supplied funding for Phase 2

Colorado

USA

Requesting info on program impacts

Connecticut

USA

Writing book about beekeeping, interviewed
SPP about prison beekeeping programs
Astrobiology in Prisons Program; environmental
and science lectures
Beekeeping programs in Georgia correctional
facilities
Interested in sustainability programs in Idaho
correctional facilities.

District ofColumbia

USA

FloridaUSA

Georgia

USA

Idaho

USA

Implementing SPP-style programs in Illinois

IllinoisUSA

KentuckyUSA

Massachusetts

USA

Massachusetts

USA

NevadaUSA

New York

USA

Interested in collaborative project between
Restorative Justice Fort Collins and the Fort
Collins natural areas
Assisted by SPP for research at Institute of
Human-Animal Connection

Interested in beekeeping programs for KY
correctional facilities
NSF funded conference at Yale, “Social andecological infrastructure for recidivism
reduction.”
Implementing aquaponics greenhouse in MA
correctional facility
Implementing SPP style programs to award
credit to incarcerated individuals working inplant nurseries
Partnering with SPP to launch green initiatives
for county jailSustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report67

Lettuce Grow - Operations
Coordinator, Growing Gardens
Seed to Supper, Oregon FoodBank
Multiple staff members at
Institute for Applied Ecology
Sustainability Programs
Manager, Oregon Departmentof Corrections
Graduate Student, La Salle
University
Local beekeeper from
Philadelphia PA
PA Department ofConservation and Natural
Resources
Assistant professor ofsociology, Texas State
University
Community College Instructor,
Michael Unit, Texas Dept of
Criminal Justice

Windham School District
Senior Conservation
Coordinator, Travis County
Undergrad, Middlebury College
University of Utah, all teammembers
Education andCommunications Lead, NASA
Astrobiology Program
Kaff Zanjira
https://www.facebook.com/ka
ffzanjira/Mathilde Zamorano andMatthieu Sirieix from Mauzac
Prison France
Ecology Lead for the UK
Ministry of Justice Estates
Cluster

Wants to start a network of individuals andorg’s who work with gardens in prisons.

OregonUSA

Adapting course for in-prison use

OregonUSA

SPP program certifications and curriculum
development

OregonUSA

SPP-Oregon

OregonUSA

Pennsylvania

USA

Pennsylvania

USA

Offering arboriculture education and training toincarcerated students

Pennsylvania

USA

Designing and implementing environmental
training programs in prisons

Texas

USA

Texas

USA

Texas

USA

Texas

USA

Vermont

USA

National

USA

National

USA

Interview for capstone on sustainability andconservation in correctional systems
Consult on how to get prison administrators on
board with a prison bee program.

Reviewing and publicizing aquaponics programand protocols, support for creating national
herbs behind bars contest and presenting tonational Aquaponics Association; connection tonational partners
Agricultural programs and education incorrections
Developing SPP style programs in Travis County
Using SPP as a resource for senior thesis on
food justice and prison agriculture operations
Workshops, astrobiology and conservation
programs
Program evaluation for astrobiology lecturesnationally
Proposing a GreenPals written correspondence
between SPP incarcerated participants andsustainability professionals supporting Kaff
ZanjiraIndia

Gardening education in WA prisonsFranceSharing contacts, best practices, and successstories

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

EnglandUK

68

Senior Research Fellow and
HSU Prisons Programme Lead,
University of Central
Lancashire
Chairman, Inmates for ChangeInterested in SPP style sustainability programs

UK

Interested in SPP programs and water filtration

ZambiaFigure 3. Prevalence of SPP-style programs nationwide.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report6912. Dissemination
Presentations
In this reporting period, SPP staff at
Evergreen (SPP-Evergreen) presented at avariety of venues to highlight specificprograms or represent SPP as a whole. A
summary of our presentations isrepresented in Table 31; this table
excludes presentations within establishedprograms. Overall, the number ofpresentations was significantly less thanusual, due to event cancellations during
the COVID-19 pandemic.

Onlooker views the SPP Art Installation at the 2019 NW Natureand Health Symposium held at UW. Photo by Erica Benoit.

Table 31. SPP-Evergreen Presentations, July 2019 – December 2020 (see Appendix 3 for abbreviations).
Date

Presenter(s)07/19/2019

Keegan Curry

07/31/2019

Erica Benoit, Joslyn Rose
Trivett

08/07/2019

Graham Klag

08/08/2019

Joslyn Rose Trivett andMarisa Pushee

08/14/2019

Keegan Curry, Erika Larson

08/2122/2019

Kelli Bush

09/09/2019
10/03/2019

10/04/2019

Joslyn Rose Trivett, Bethany
SheplerMathilde Zamorano,
Matthieu Sirieix, Erica Benoit
Mathilde Zamorano,
Matthieu Sirieix, Joslyn Rose
Trivett

Title
SPP & Taylor’s Checkerspot Captive
Rearing Program

Venue
Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually
National Wildlife Refuge

Roots of Success presentation

CRCC

SPP Butterfly Programs: The
Butterfly EffectSPP Overview and Conservation
Programs
Taylor’s Checkerspot Rearing at
Mission Creek
SPP: Empowering sustainablechange by bringing nature, science,and environmental education inprisons

Olympia Senior Center
Doris Duke Conservation
Scholars Program
MCCCW Bring your Kids
to Work DaySPSCPTS Statewide
Conference at Evergreen

Beekeeping Programs for PrisonsOlympia Beekeepers
Association

Visitors from prison gardens inFrance

WCC

Visitors from prison gardens inFrance

MCCCW

10/25/2019

Kelli Bush

SPP

10/30/2019

Curators: Erica Benoit, Joslyn
Rose Trivett, Star Murray
Artists: Charles, Colton,

Art Installation: Sustainability in
Prisons Project

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

UW Restoration Ecology
Class2019 NW Nature and
Health Symposium,
University of Washington

7011/13/2019

Daniel, David, Joseph, Joshua,
Justin, Matthew, Michael,Peter, Robert, Rory, Shane,
Steve, Tremayne, andWarren; Let Yourself
Germinate Artist: Lawrence
Jenkins
Photographers: Erica Benoit& Marisa Pushee
Presenters: Erica Benoit &Anna DuronArtists: Michael Gorski,
Edmund Ball, students in SPP
screen printing workshop

SPP Art Exhibit

Growing native plants andgardening curriculum with
incarcerated adults
Unusual strategies for higher
education in prison: examples ofenvironmental and science study
and practice in SPP programs in WA
State

Art Exhibit at SCCC

Western Native Plants
Conference

11/14/2019

Dionne Mejia, Carly Rose

11/15/2019

Joslyn Rose Trivett, Bill
Anglemyer

01/03/2020

Jacob Meyers

Prairie Conservation in WA State

01/13/2020

Kelli Bush

SPP

01/28/2020

Graham Klag

Role of Harvest in Conservation

01/30/2020

Shohei Morita

SPP

03/05/2020

Dan Pacholke

Keynote: How do we humanize
prisons?

05/07/2020

Graham Klag

Restoration techniques to establish
Oregon Silverspot Butterfly Habitats

07/13/2020

Marisa Pushee

SPP Conservation Programs: Frogs& EVM

Oregon Zoo

11/23/2020

Kelli BushSPPUW Seattle Restoration
Ecology classNational Conference on
Higher Education in
PrisonBidwell Institute in
Pittsburg
BPC Circle of Life Event at
Tacoma Community
College
Port Blakely
County Youth Detention
Center, Chehalis
Unlocked 2020
Conference
International Associationof Landscape Ecologists
iPoster presentation

SPP Tours
SPP-Evergreen staff and WA Corrections staff at each facility have regularly hosted visitors interested in
SPP programs. Table 32 provides a summary of tours reported for this reporting period; this list issmaller due to the no-visitor policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report71

Table 32. Tours of SPP programs, July 2019 – December 2020 (see Appendix 3 for abbreviations).
Date

Location

Visitors

07/30/2019

CRCC

Joslyn Rose Trivett, Erica Benoit

WCC

Mathilde Zamorano, Matthieu
Sirieix, Carl Elliot, Allison Campbell

Garden, conservation nursery

WSP

Bethany Shepler, Shohei Morita

Beekeeping, gardens, sheep, SPL labs

09/24/2019

MCCCW

Mathilde Zamorano, Matthieu
Sirieix, Judith Gerren, BethRietema

Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly,
composting, water reduction andcatchment, conservation crews,
beekeeping, PPP

09/25/19,
09/30/2019

MCCCW
OffsiteGarden10/01/2019

SCCC

02/2627/2020

AHCC

Shohei Morita

09/22/2020

SCCC

Shohei Morita, Joslyn Rose Trivett

09/16, 18-19,
26-27/2019
09/1718/2019

Mathilde Zamorano, Matthieu
Sirieix, Bethany Shepler, Diane
Fish, Sergeant Gately
Mathilde Zamorano, Matthieu
Sirieix, Kelly Peterson

Program areas
Beekeeping, gardens, toy program, SPL
labs

GRACE Project
Sustainability programs
Woodyard & Envirodrum (compost),
DNR/NWCG, MSU vermiculture, Rootsof Success, garden, beekeeping
Garden, aquaponics, Roots of Success,beekeeping class, garden class

Academic Publications, Projects, and Internships
Academic Papers
In October 2020, the paper we co-authored describing results of the Astrobiology for the Incarcerated
programming in Washington, Ohio, and Florida was published in the Astrobiology journal. Anotherjournal article, also authored by Nalini Nadkarni, on the effects of virtual nature experiences on
incarcerated men is set to be published in the next reporting period (2021). SPP also contributed to thework of a team of University of Denver graduate researchers who analyzed the impact of WA Stateprison dog training program participation on recidivism; we expect these results to be published in thenear future. Additional details provided in the Evaluation section.
Internships
SPP staff supported 1 internship with former Evergreen Master of Environmental Studies student, Erica
Benoit in Spring 2020. The internship was focused on providing detailed data management of survey
data from the SPP Workshop Series.
Graduate Student Theses and Capstones
During this reporting period, SPP-Evergreen supported two Master of Environmental Studies graduate
students in academic work to satisfy their degree:

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

72





Graham Klag’s thesis analyzing the effectiveness of an experimental growing method for the
Early blue violet (Viola adunca), the larval host plant of the endangered Oregon silverspot
butterfly; andErica Benoit’s thesis analyzing the connections between the prison food environment and fooddeserts.

See Student Theses for further details. SPP-Evergreen also provided informal support to numerous
additional students, some of whom are described in the Network section.

Media Coverage
During this reporting period, SPP was featured in more than 57 stories from local, regional, andinternational media outlets. Several media pieces in development were cancelled as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The table below includes all of the media pieces that SPP-Evergreen staff tracked
during the reporting period.
Table 33. SPP Media, July 2019 – December 2020.
Date

Paper/Source

AuthorTitle

07/01/2019 Utne Reader

Jessica Cohen

Animals and Inmates: Symbiosis and Redemption, How a
prison animal training program is successfully curbing
criminal behavior.

07/10/2019 KUOW

Ross Reynolds

Sustainability in Prisons Project

07/10/2019 The Daily World

Hasani Grayson

Lions expand bike giveaway program

Board of Trustees,
07/12/2019 The Evergreen State President's Office Meeting notes
College
07/16/2019 The Dalles Chronicle Mark Gibson

A slow fight for survival: Turtles struggle against
bullfrogs, habitat loss and now, shell disease

07/24/2019 Oregon Business

Kim Moore

Green in the new black

07/31/2019 Vancouver Sun

Anthony Gismondi B.C. wine of the week, wine to cellar, and calendar items

Department of
Ecology

These Wastewater Treatment Plants Earn an A+ in Clean
Water

08/05/2019

08/07/2019 WA DOC

Rachel Friedrich

Salmon Habitat Restoration

08/08/2019 WILX 10

Associated Press

Michigan government boosting environmental
sustainability

08/09/2019 KXLY.com

Ariana Lake

Inside the beekeeping program at Airway Heights
Correction Center

Jared Brown

Airway Heights prison beekeeping program inspires
sustainability and self-improvement

08/10/2019 KHQ Q6Stephanee
Stevenson

One program at AHCC is bringing inmates hope; with amix of danger & sweet rewards

08/12/2019 WA DOC

Karisa LightfootChanging Ewe and Me

08/13/2019 BioCycle

Sally Brown

Connections: The Maggots' Buffet

08/09/2019

The Spokesman
Review

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report7308/21/2019 WSDOT Blog

Ann Briggs

Creating pathways to a better future

08/27/2019 Kitsap Sun

Jessie Darland

Mission Creek inmates plant veggies, reap rewards ofgiving backIdaho Department ofNancy DeWitt
Correction

ISCC Inmates Participate in Nature Education, Habitat
Restoration

09/10/2019

09/11/2019 CBC News

Amanda Pfeffer

Prison honey bee program a sweet success

09/12/2019 Intelligent Living

Launa Steffen

Female Prisoners Are Helping To Save Endangered
Butterfly Species

09/13/2019 Thurston Talk

The Evergreen
State College

Why Senator Emily Randall Says Liberal Arts Education Is
More Relevant than Ever

09/25/2019 WA DOC

Rachel Friedrich

Itching to be Stitching: Airway Heights Inmates Donate
QuiltsKIVI 6 On Your Side Latest Headlines (covers sagebrushprogram at 1:29)

10/11/2019 Idaho News 6
10/20/2019 goskagit.com

Kimberly Cauvel

Work being done to restore habitat for the Oregon
spotted frog

11/13/2019 Kolo TV

Elizabeth Rodil

Inmates raising sagebrush to help lands destroyed by fire

Aaron Gronstal

All Learners Matter: Astrobiology for the Incarcerated

11/26/2019

Astrobiology at
NASA

12/01/2019

Berkshire Agriculture
Ventures

Berkshire Agricultural Ventures December News.
Featured Matching Grant Project:
Berkshire House of Corrections Aquaponics

12/01/2019

Institute for Applied
Ecology

Sagebrush in Prisons Project Newsletter2020 Issue

Fluid Culture

02/01/2020 WASBA

Photographer:
Ricky Osborne

Sustainability in Prisons Project - Apiculture

Shohei Morita

News from around the hive: Buzz about the bees: achance to offer transformational education

02/01/2020 Avista Connections

The positive power of prison pets

03/29/2020 Union-Bulletin

Emily Thornton

Prison worker finds healing in art

04/10/2020 Herald News

Oregon Zoo News
Inmates help rare NW butterfly return to Oregon
Press Release

05/01/2020

Capital CommunityMedia

The Healing Garden Behind Prison Walls

05/26/2020

Prison Pet
Partnership

A little less broken: reflections from an incarcerated dog
trainer

05/28/2020

Northwest Treaty
TribesStillaguamish Tribe aims to prevent heron displacement

06/05/2020 Searchlight News

Ex-Prisoners Engaged in UNDP Funded Climate Change
Resilience Project

06/10/2020

Department ofCorrections

E: The06/12/2020 Environmental
Magazine

Rachel Noll

Larch Wood Biomass Energy System Could Reduce
Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Maggie Potter

Ex-Cons Helping the Environment: From Sustainability In
Prisons To Advocacy On The Outside

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report74

06/14/2020 Union-Bulletin

Walla Walla
Union-Bulletin

Penitentiary employees recognized with Department ofCorrections awards
WA Corrections received a forest service grant award for
proposed wood #biomass #energy system at LCC

06/16/2020 DOC Twitter
06/22/2020

Wings Worldquest
Twitter page

Nalini Nadkarni

Happy World Rainforest Day!

07/02/2020

Prison Pet
Partnership

Jeania Gentry

You gave me a purpose

07/02/2020 Forks Forum
Maggie Potter

Ex-Cons Helping the Environment: From Sustainability In
Prisons To Advocacy On The Outside

07/13/2020 dissidentvoice.org

Paul Haeder

Fish do grow on trees

07/15/2020 Inside Higher Ed

Tanya Erzen

Unlocking the Potential of Prison Education

07/19/2020 Union-Bulletin

Annie Charnley
EvelandAbandoned bicycles repurposed for area kids

07/23/2020

The Good Men
Project

Maggie Potter

Ex-Cons Helping the Environment: From Sustainability In
Prisons To Advocacy On The Outside

08/02/2020

The SpokesmanReview

Riley Haun

‘The bottom has just dropped out’: As insect populations
plummet, scientists wonder why

08/10/2020 Colorlines.com

N. Jamiyla
Chisholm

A Medicinal Garden Grows at Washington State
Penitentiary

08/12/2020 DOC

Rachel Noll

The Buzz About Honeybees

08/17/2020 DOC

DOC
Communications

The Bees Knees

10/31/2020 Medium

Allie Lowy

What does mass incarceration have to do withenvironmental degradation? More than you’d think.

11/25/2020 Houston Chronicle

Ariella Simke

Essay: Serving salads while serving time — future ofsustainable food found in Texas prisons

07/12/2020

12/09/2020

The Environmental
Magazine

OCC Rocks!

Impact Justice
Report12/17/2020 NASA Website

Leslie Soble,
Eating Behind Bars: Ending the Hidden Punishment ofKathryn Stroud,
Food in Prison
Marika Weinstein
Editor: Frank
Tavares

Astrobiology for the Incarcerated: Bringing
Transformational Science into Prisons

OutreachDuring this reporting period, SPP posted 38 blog posts to the SPP website. Some of the most popular
blog posts are summarized in the following table.
Table 34. Most SPP blog posts, July 2019 – December 2020.
Title
Second Chances and the WAG Programat Clallam Bay
When Nature Meets Art
First Place Honey!

AuthorDate

Bethany Shepler, Green Track Program Coordinator

07/26/2019

Erica Benoit, SPP Workshop Series Coordinator
Bethany Shepler, Green Track Program Coordinator

08/16/2019
09/12/2019

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report75Peer education created by and forincarcerated gardeners
The Magic of Caring for Turtles
Persistence pays off: beekeeping in
Massachusetts jails
Growing food on a greater scale: WSP’s
Institutional Sustainability Garden
Happy Halloween from Stafford Creek
Corrections Center
Personal Victories
Rolling out wetland plants for theSamish Indian Nation
Why Aquaponics in Prison?
(Before COVID-19): Octopus Kicks off
the Workshop Series at MCCCW
Welcoming the bees back to WCC
Are you right for the garden & is thegarden right for you?
Workshops in the COVID-19 Era
When Crisis Inspires Greater Teamwork

Carly Rose, SPP Curriculum Development Coordinatorand Emerico, Gardening Curriculum Author
William Angelmyer, former SPP Turtle Technician
Joslyn Rose Trivett, SPP Education and OutreachManager, and Susan Goldwitz, Beekeeper andProgram Coordinator
Joslyn Rose Trivett, SPP Education and OutreachManager
Graham Klag, Conservation Nursery Coordinator
Ashley McElhenie, former SPP Prairie Conservation
Nursery Technician
Anna Duron and Carl Elliott, Coordinator andManager for the Emergent Vegetated Mat (EVM)
programWilliam Rathgeber, SPP Biological Science Technician
Joslyn Rose Trivett, SPP Education and OutreachManager, and Erica Benoit, SPP Workshop Series
Coordinator
Joslyn Rose Trivett (SPP-Evergreen), Laurie Pyne
(Centralia College), and Jenn Bullard (WCC)

09/17/2019
10/10/2019
10/15/2019

10/25/2019
10/31/2019
11/12/2019

11/19/2019
12/13/2019
03/30/2020

04/23/2020

Carly Rose, SPP Curriculum Development Coordinator05/14/2020

Erica Benoit, SPP Workshop Series Coordinator
Marisa Pushee, Joslyn Rose Trivett, and Kelli Bush

05/28/2020
09/11/2020

SPP’s main outlets for social media include Facebook (facebook.com/sustainabilityinprisons/), Twitter(twitter.com/SPP_WA), and Instagram (instagram.com/sustainabilityinprisons/).
The SPP Facebook page gained 65 Page Likes in this reporting period, bringing the Total Page Likes to
2,091. During this reporting period, we made 121 posts on Facebook that received over 3,800 likes,
shares, and comments. The most popular posts are summarized in the following table.
Table 35. Most popular Facebook posts, July 2019 – December 2020.
Subject
Blog post written by Prairie Conservation Technician Ashley
McElhenie
Sunflowers grown by Tacoma Community College's Horticulture
Program at WCCW
Wolf Haven International's Wolf Tracks story on SPP prairie
conservation

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

2.6K# Likes,Comments,
Shares
51

2.6K

106

09/09/2019

2.1K

50

02/03/2020# People
ReachedDate

11/12/2019

76

Aquaponics workshop led by Anna Duron at greenhouse at Cedar
Creek
Environmental workshop series in COVID-19 era
The Twin Rivers Unit's honey won first place at the Evergreen State
Fair!
First workshop at MCCCW (with a live octopus!)
Why aquaponics in a prison? An incarcerated technician makes his
case
Pleased to present new peer-led gardening course in prisons
KUOW story on SPP (interview with Kelli Bush & Nichole Alexander)
Roots of Success: Environmental Literacy Curriculum + Oregon
Department of Corrections = life changing!
WSP has a 10.5-acre garden growing fresh food for the prison kitchen!
Four formerly incarcerated people started their own company, All
Around Forestry LLC
Taylor's checkerspot butterfly program still thriving
EVM mats from SCCC provided instant habitat for Oregon spotted frog
Beautiful rolls of wetland plants from SCCC to Samish Indian Nation
GRACE Garden grows vegetables, thanks to Kitsap Conservation
District
Blog post from SPP's garden course co-creator
The Spokesman-Review article on AHCC Beekeeping program
Washington State Department of Corrections finding ways towelcome honeybees back to prison programs

1K

101

11/14/2019

1.6K

109

05/28/2020

1.4K

36

09/12/2019

1.3K

42

03/30/2020

1.2K

74

12/16/2019

1.1K
1.1K

108
130

08/21/2020
07/11/2019

843

28

08/02/2019

822

41

10/25/2019

819

386

02/19/2020

749
721
696

111
60
67

09/16/2019
10/28/2019
11/19/2019

661

25

08/05/2019

657
651

26
13

05/14/2020
08/10/2019

605

53

04/23/2020

On Twitter, SPP gained 122 followers in this reporting period, and had over 1,700 visits to our page.
More highlights from this reporting period:

SPP tweeted 311 times and made over 205,000 impressions – a great increase from FY19
(171,000 impressions) 60 tweets received over 1,000 impressions
 13 tweets received over 2,000 impression
 2 tweets received over 3,000 impressions
The tweets that attracted the most attention are summarized in the following table.
Table 36. Most popular tweets, July 2019 – December 2020.
Subject
Rep Leavitt's efforts create new education
opportunities for the incarcerated
Growing wine grapes & hops at WSP
Resilience of butterfly program
Sustainable Practices Lab
Jackie Goordial is a great educator (astrobiology
workshops)
Happy Solstice!

# of Impressions# of Engagements

3,750

55

3,643
2,962
2,873

19
47
25

07/22/2019
09/11/2020
08/19/2019

2,831

17

02/07/2020

2,777

53

12/21/2019

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual ReportDate
11/20/2019

77Black soldierflies at MCC
Western Pond Turtle article

2,607
2,426

20
53

03/31/2020
07/19/2019

During this reporting period, we posted 36 times on Instagram. Those posts generated a total of 1,079
likes. The most popular Instagram posts are summarized in the table below.
Table 37. Most liked Instagram posts, July 2019 – December 2020.
Subject
Workshop student shows off his first screenprints!
Happy Halloween; produce grown at SCCC
Artist Edmund Ball crocheted a beautiful piece that featured flowers, a butterfly,
and a bee against a backdrop of prison bars
Honeybee chain
Drawing of 3 bee-eaters by Lawrence Jenkins
Taylors' checkerspot caterpillar
New gardening course available for download
Photos from screen printing workshop at SCCC
Aquaponics workshop led by Anna Duron at greenhouse at Cedar Creek# of Likes
48
44

Date
08/29/2019
10/31/2019

44

12/07/2019

44
42
39
39
37
36

05/20/2020
10/09/2019
03/21/2020
08/25/2020
08/28/2019
11/14/2019

The three most popular images on Instagram this reporting period.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report78

Appendix 1. SPP Programs in Washington State Prisons, July 2019 –December 2020
We reported on 199 SPP programs in Washington State’s 12 prisons this year; see the list below. Some
additional programs were in development during the reporting period and are not indicated here.
Programs suspended due to COVID-19 are notated below and have plans to resume normal operation in
the future. For links to programs, partner organizations, and highlights for each program, see
http://sustainabilityinprisons.org/spp-programs-in-wa/.
SPP Programs Reported by all 12 WA prisons (see Appendix 3 for abbreviations).
*Suspended due to COVID-19; **Shifted to PPE production in response to COVID-19.
Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC)
Roots of Success
Beekeeping
Gardens: Main
Gardens: Minimum
Flower gardens
Pollinator plantings
Large-scale composting
Waste sorting & recycling
Worm farm: Minimum
SPL: Quilting**
Computers 4 Kids
Pawsitive dog training – prison program*
Sawyer community work crew/firewood donation*
Forestry
Nature Imagery
Reclaimed Water System*

Clallam Bay Corrections Center (CBCC)
Roots of Success
Beekeeping
Vegetable gardens
Flower gardens
Ozette potato program
Waste sorting & recycling
Dog training and adoption
Cat program
Water catchment
Waste water treatment

Cedar Creek Corrections Center (CCCC)
Beekeeping: CCCC*

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report79Beekeeping: McNeil Island
Western pond turtle care*
Woodpecker nest predation study*
Aquaponics
Vegetable gardens
Flower gardens
Waste sorting & recycling*
Large-scale composting
Training dogs for veterans
Community College Horticulture
Construction: tiny homes
Water use reduction and catchment
Waste water treatment
Forestry
Community work

Coyote Ridge Corrections Center (CRCC)
Roots of Success*Beekeeping*Land restoration
Heritage and bee gardens
Garden: Main, maintenance area
Waste sorting & recycling*
Toys for Tots*
Teddy Bears from reclaimed materials*
Ridge Dogs
Service dogs for veterans
Gardens: Minimum
Pollinator garden: Minimum
Composting: Minimum*

Larch Corrections Center (LCC)
Roots of Success
Western pond turtles care*
Beekeeping*
Plantain, food source for Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies
House plants
Bird feeders
Wood craft donations
Larch Dog Adoption Program
Larch Cat Adoption Program
Waste reduction
Waste sorting & recycling
Large-scale composting*Waste water treatment
Forestry

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report80Community work

Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW)
Roots of Success
Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly program
Beekeeping*
Environmental Workshop Series*
GRACE (Gardening for Restoration and Conservation Education) Project*
Vegetable gardens
Flower gardens
Conservation crews
Small-scale composting
Waste sorting & recycling
Water use reduction & catchment
Pawsitive Prison Project
Plant and animal habitat*
House plants

Monroe Correctional Complex (MCC)
WSR
Composting with Bugs: Worm Farm, Black Soldier Flies, Bokashi
City of Monroe public flowers
Gardening curriculum development
Roots of Success*
SPL Bicycles from Heaven
SPL Wheelchair program
House plants
Bird habitat
Waste sorting & recycling*
Waste water treatment certification*
Flower gardens
Vegetable gardens
SOU
Beekeeping
Vegetable gardens
Nature Imagery*
Cat program
TRU
Beekeeping
Gardens
Community Aide Coalition: quilting, crochet, textile arts**
Dog training and adoption*

Olympic Corrections Center (OCC)
Gardens
Flower gardens, boxes, baskets

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report81Water features
Waste sorting & recycling
Large-scale composting
Waste water treatment
Water catchment
Solar power
Wood shop
Dog training and adoption*
Green Building*Firewood
Community crew*Forestry

Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC)
Roots of Success*Environmental Workshop Series*
Beekeeping*
Prairie Conservation Nursery (now inactive)
Emergent vegetation mats*
Gardening curriculum development
Gardens and greenhouses
Lifer Garden
Food Bank fundraisers
Pollinator plantings
Flower gardens, boxes, baskets, fruit orchard
Bird houses
Sustainability channel
Large-scale composting
Waste sorting & recycling
Water catchment
Bicycle Repair
Wheelchair Repair
Service dogs for veterans*
Toy Time
SBU Art ClassSBU Knitting Class
Teddy Bear program
COVID-19 Community Fundraiser

Washington Corrections Center (WCC)
Roots of Success*Environmental Workshop Series*
Prairie Conservation Nursery
Beekeeping, “Intensive Bee Management Unit”*
Gardens and greenhouses
Flower gardens

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report82Horticulture*
Potted plants and plant starts
Construction: bus stops, tiny homes, Neighborhood Pantries, bird houses*
Nature Imagery
House plants
Large-scale composting*Waste sorting & recycling
Shoe and clothing repurposing
Training dogs for veterans
Composting with Bugs: Worm Farm, Black Soldier Flies, Bokashi

Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW)Roots of Success
Environmental Workshop Series (now inactive)
Prairie Conservation Nursery
Gardens and greenhouses
Beekeeping
Pollinator plantings
Community College Horticulture
Mother Earth Farm, offsite farm crew*
Prison Pet Partnership
Sisters of Charity: quilts, fabric crafts, wildlife rescue**
Waste sorting & recycling*
Large-scale compostingElectric vehicles
Lighting upgrades

Washington State Penitentiary (WSP)
Institutional Sustainability Garden
Waste sorting & recycling
Composting, main
Electrical upgrades
Water conservation
BAR Units
Kitten program*
Roots of Success
Crochet Program*
MSU
Beekeeping*
Sheep conservation program
Flower gardens
Rental garden boxes
Dog program*
Community work crew*South Complex
Rental garden boxes

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report83Sustainable Practices Lab
SPL: Learning Center
SPL: Wood shop & carving
SPL: Furniture Repair
SPL: Sign shop
SPL: Aquaculture and Aquaponics
SPL: Worm Farm
SPL: Art program
SPL: Quilting
SPL: Creative projects
SPL: Water treatment systems
SPL: Roots of Success
SPL: Green Zone
199 programs reported by 12 prisonsSustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report84Appendix 2. SPP Partners and Allies in Washington State PrisonsComplementing the efforts of WA Corrections and Evergreen, partner and ally organizations contributeto almost every SPP program. Most programs would not be possible without their input, enthusiasm,
and resources. In this reporting period, we have 179 known (reported) partners and/or contributingorganizations. We know the actual number of contributors is likely far greater!
Table 38. SPP Partners and Allies (Partnering with WA Corrections, Evergreen, or both), July 2019 –December 2020.
Adams County Pet Rescue
ARC of Tri-Cities
Assist International
Benton Franklin Humane Society
Black Prisoners Caucus
Blessings Under the BridgeBlue Mountain Action Council
Blue Mountain Humane Society
Brigadoon Service Dogs
Calbag Metals
Canyon Creek Cabinet Company
Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington
Center for Natural Lands Management
Central Kitsap Food Bank
Centralia College
Cherish our Children
Christian Aid Center
Christmas for Kids
City of Airway Heights
City of Monroe
City of Sultan
Clallam Bay Food Bank
Clark County Beekeeping Association
Clark-Skamania Flyfishers
Coastal Harvest
Community Beekeepers
Correctional Industries
Diamonds in the Ruff
Dolly Haakenson
Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County
Doris Duke Conservation Scholars
Duke University
Emergency Food Network
Everett Police Department
Evergreen Hospice

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report85Evergreen Education Coalition for Justice Involved Students
Fallen Outdoors
Family Promise of Grays Harbor
Farm to School
Forgotten Dogs
Forks Chamber of Commerce
Forks Gamers Group
Forks Lions Club
Forks Soroptimists
Forks Timber Museum
Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
Friends of the Carpenter
Friends of Willapa Wildlife Refuge
Great Peninsula Conservancy
Green Prisons
GRACE Project
Habitat for Humanity
Hard Headz
Harvest Now
Holy Rosary Church
Hood Canal School District
Hood Canal Food Bank
Hope Crew
Humane Society for Southwest Washington
I-CON Systems, Inc.
Institute for Applied Ecology
Institute for Human-Animal Connection
Interfaith Family Shelter
Jefferson Land Trust
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Justice Involved Students Group, Evergreen
K & S Recycling
Kaff Zanjira
Kalaloch Lodge
Kitsap Conservation District
Kitsap Humane Society
Kiwanis Hoodsport
Lake Quinault Fire Department
Lamb Weston
Lettuce Grow
Lions Club
Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center
Little Earth Farm
Littlerock Elementary School

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report86Makah Tribe
Marysville Police Department
Master Composters
Master Gardeners
Matlock Community Church
Mid-Columbia Beekeepers
Millers Homestead
Monroe Community Senior Center
Monroe Police Department
Mother Earth FarmNASA Astrobiology Program
Nature Imagery in Prisons Project (NIPP)
North Mason Food Bank
North Olympic Peninsula Beekeepers Association
Northwest District Beekeepers Association
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections
Ohio State University
OlycapOlympia Beekeepers Association
Olympia Community Solar
Olympic Peninsula Humane Society
Oregon Food BankSPP Oregon - Oregon Department of Corrections
Oregon State University Extension Service
Oregon Zoo
Over the Rainbow Fabrics
Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship
PAWS
Peninsula College
Pioneer United Methodist Church
PPL Electric Utilities
Project 41
Providence Hospital
Purrfect Pals
Quileute High School
Quileute Tribe
Quillayute Valley Scholarship Auction
Quillayute Valley School District
Rainbow Center
Relay for Life
Roots of SuccessSalmon for Soldiers
Samish Nation
Sarge’s Place for Homeless Vets

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report87Seattle Children's Hospital
Second Harvest Food Bank
Shriners Hospital for Children
SNAP Spokane
South Sound Prairies
Snohomish County Boys & Girls Club
Snohomish County CTA
Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office
Spokane Humane Society
SpokAnimal
SPP Tasmania
Summit Assistance Dogs
Sunshine and Rainbows Child Development Center
Sustainable Living Center
Swedish Hospital
Symbiotic Cycles
Tacoma Community College
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Saint’s Pantry Food Bank
Thurston County Food Bank
Tilth Alliance
Tri-Cities Toys for Tots
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Forest Service
Union Gospel Mission
University Beyond Bars
University of Utah
University of Washington Ecosystem Science Division
University of Washington Composting and Waste Treatment Scientists
University of Washington – Tacoma, Professors Criminology & Restoration Ecology
Un-loop
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Washington State Beekeepers Association (WASBA)
Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges
Washington State Department of Ecology
Washington State Department of Enterprise Services
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
Washington State Department of Transportation
Waste Connections
Waste Management
Welfare for Animals Guild (WAG)
West Columbia Gorge Humane Society

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report88West Plains Beekeepers Association
West Sound Beekeepers Association
West Sound Wildlife Shelter
Westlake Shelter
Westport Shipyard
Wheels for the World
Whidbey-Camano Land Trust
Wolf Haven International
Woodland Park Zoo
WSU Department of Entomology
WSU Extension, Pierce County
YWCA
179 reported organizations + hundreds more charities receiving donations

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report89Appendix 3. Abbreviations
Table 39. Common abbreviations found in current report
Prisons
AHCC
Airway Heights Corrections Center, Airway Heights (near Spokane)
CBCC
Clallam Bay Corrections Center, Clallam Bay (northwest Olympic Peninsula)
CCCC
Cedar Creek Corrections Center, Littlerock
CRCC
Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, Connell (south, central Washington)
LCC
Larch Corrections Center, Yacolt (northeast of Vancouver)
MCC
Monroe Correctional Complex, Monroe (northeast of Seattle)
MCC-SOU
Monroe Correctional Complex, Special Offender Unit
MCC-TRU
Monroe Correctional Complex, Twin Rivers Unit
MCC-WSR
Monroe Correctional Complex, Washington State Reformatory
MCCCW
Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women, Belfair (Kitsap Peninsula)
OCC
Olympic Corrections Center, Forks
PPP
Pawsitive Prison Project
SCCC
Stafford Creek Corrections Center, Aberdeen
WCC
Washington Corrections Center, Shelton
WCCW
Washington Corrections Center for Women, Gig Harbor
WSP
Washington State Penitentiary, Walla Walla
WSP-MSU
Washington State Penitentiary, Minimum Security Unit
WSP-BARWashington State Penitentiary, Baker Adams Rainier Unit
Agencies & Organizations
ABKA

American Boarding Kennel Association

CI
CPD
CNLM
DNR
DoD
Evergreen
HSSW
IAE
JBLM
NSF
OR Zoo
RDA
SBU
SPL
SPP
USFWS
WA Corrections
WASBA
WDFW

Correctional Industries
Capital Planning & Development (WA Corrections)Center for Natural Lands Management
Department of Natural Resources
Department of Defense
The Evergreen State College, a public, four-year institution
Humane Society for Southwest Washington
Institute for Applied Ecology
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
National Science Foundation
Oregon Zoo
Research & Data Analytics (WA Corrections)
Skills Building Unit
Sustainable Practices Lab
Sustainability in Prisons Project
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Washington State Department of Corrections
Washington State Beekeeper’s Association
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report

90

WPZ
Woodland Park Zoo
WSDOT
Washington State Department of Transportation
WSIRB
Washington State Institutional Review Board
Definitions & General Abbreviations
Maximum custody areas are also called IMUs (Intensive Management Unit) andMAX
segregation
Medium custody includes close custody, which has less freedom, and general
MED
population.
Minimum custody areas are also called MSUs (Minimum Security Unit). WA has
MIN
three prisons (CCCC, LCC, and MCCCW) that are wholly MIN and houseincarcerated individuals with four years or less remaining on their sentences.
OMNI
Offender Management Network Information
PPE
Personal Protective Equipment

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP): 2020 Annual Report91