Sustainability in Prisons Project
Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

Fiscal year 2015 was characterized by remarkable efforts to improve Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) programs in
Washington State. We established three new conservation nursery programs, including the sagebrush nursery at CRCC
shown above, an amazing achievement considering the timeline for project implementation and the level of collaboration required . Widely held SPP enthusiasm was shown at our first statewide SPP Summit event: more than 100 staff,
partners, and students met for two days of presentations and discussions. All 12 WA prison contributed to the evolving
vision of what it means to be SPP. Photos by Jeff Clark of the Bureau of Land Management (above) and Zandra Jones, anundergraduate student at the Evergreen State College (Evergreen; below).

SPP’s Director for Evergreen, Dr. Carri LeRoy, was published in Science, one of the best-regarded
scientific journals in the world. She described her nature drawing workshop for incarcerated students, taking nature and science outside the “tower” of academia. Photo by Tiffany Webb.

Steve Sinclair joined SPP as a Senior Advisor in 2014, and by the end of the fiscal year he became
SPP Director for DOC; here he is at the Statewide Summit in April, 2015, presenting to a packed
room. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual ReportA Pacific chorus frog sits among violets in WCC’s Skill Builders Unit, an area for incarcerated men withcognitive challenges. They collect the violets’ valuable seeds for prairie conservation. This nursery is apart of Centralia College’s horticulture program created for the Skill Builders Unit. Photo by Sue Sheldon.

NPR’s Tom Banse interviewed members of the Conservation Nursery crew at SCCC in November; thepiece was picked up by public radio stations media nationally. Photo by Ricky Johnson.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

The hoop house at CRCC brings nature inside the prison with a new conservation nursery; the facility is
growing sagebrush for restoration of greater sage-grouse habitat, and it is a partnership with Institute forApplied Ecology, Bureau of Land Management, WA State University, and others. Photo by Kelli Bush.

MCCCW SPP Butterfly Technicians at Liz Louie and Samantha Turner hosted visitors from University of Denver, DOC Headquarters, and SPP; the technicians provided program information for a proposal to study thesocial impacts of working in SPP's conservation programs. Photo by Andi May.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

The Western pond turtle care program at CCCC is going strong, and has released 25 healthy turtles thus far; thisyear, LCC made impressive progress toward hosting a second turtle program, this one caring for turtles from theColumbia River area. Photo by WDFW Biologist.

AHCC has abundant vegetable gardens: a huge main garden, and a courtyard garden for nearly every living unit.
Inmates tend these gardens, and send the produce to the prison’s kitchen; their harvest goes to inmate-dining
halls. Photo by AHCC staff.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual ReportThis year, Roots of Success continued to expand to new WA prions, and is on-track to be standard
programming for 11 of 12 facilities. In May, several male inmate-instructors became Master Trainers, certifying them to train new inmate-instructors as needed to meet the demand. The Master
Trainer event was hosted by WCC shown above. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.

SPP’s Science and Sustainability Lecture Series continues to thrive at SCCC and WCCW, and attendance
was the highest ever. In fiscal year 15, we pursued expanding the lecture series to WCC and MCC.
Photo by Tiffany Webb.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual ReportAn inmate-electrician at Washington Corrections Center for Women updates a light fixture in themain courtyard. In a huge push for energy efficiency, WA DOC purchased 1,353 LED light fixtures in
60 days, expecting to save 1.1 gigawatts of electricity in the first 50,000 hours following installation.
Photo by Jody Becker-Green.

Brigadoon Service Dogs now supports two programs in WA prisons, at CCCC (above) and at SCCC.
The program trains service dogs to the specific needs of an individual veteran; a dog works with aninmate trainer for months, learning such skills as turning on lights, opening doors, bracing to catchan owner’s fall, and tracking insulin levels. Photo by Andi May.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual ReportIn November 2014, SPP staff toured WSP’s Sustainable Practices Lab. The lab employed 139 inmates inrepairing and repurposing materials to the benefit of prisons statewide, other state agencies, and dozens of non-profits. Photo by Andy Porter of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin.

This year, SPP visited the Intensive Management Unit (IMU) at MCC for the first time. WA’s Correctional
Industries created a chair that makes classroom-based programming possible in the IMU. With this innovation, even inmates in maximum security can gain SPP education. Photo by Fiona Edwards.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

Sustainability in Prisons Project
Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report
Contents
1. Background Information - 3
Report Objectives
SPP Mission
SPP Vision
SPP Essential Components
SPP Staff and Organizational Chart
Partnerships
2. Budget - 4
Funding requests
3. Sustainability Job Programs - 6
4. Sustainable Operations - 7
Progress at a Glance
EnergyWater Conservation
Transportation Fuels
Waste
Sustainable Food Service
5. Community Contribution Programs - 12
Dog and Cat Programs
Reclaim, Repurpose or Restore, and Donate
Community Work Crews
6. Conservation Programs - 16
Oregon Spotted Frog Program
Western Pond Turtle Program
Conservation Nursery Programs
Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterflies and Other Pollinators
7. Education Programs - 24
Community College Courses
Lecture Series
Roots of Success
8. Evaluation - 31
Conservation Technician Data Request
Conservation Technician Surveys
Science and Sustainability Lecture Series

Lecturer Surveys
Pepperdine University School of Public Policy
WA State Institute for Public Policy
Human/Non-human Connection Research
9. SPP Network - 33
SPP – WASPP Network – International
10. Dissemination - 35
Presentations
SPP Products, Publications, and Internships
Media Coverage
Website and Social MediaAwardsAppendices
1. SPP Programs in Washington State Prisons - 43
2. SPP Partner Organizations - 48

Butterfly Technician Elizabeth
Louie shows Roots of Success
Coordinator Christina Stalnaker
how to “process” an adultbutterfly following emergencefrom its pupa. Photo by Lindsey
Hamilton.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report2

1. Background Information
Report Objectives
This report provides information on SPP activities during Washington State fiscal year 2015 (FY15) which
includes the period from July 1st 2014 through June 30th 2015. Washington Department of Corrections(WDOC) considers all sustainability initiatives taking place in Washington prisons to be part of SPP. The
primary objective of this document is to update partners on statewide SPP activities. While this effort
does not capture every sustainability effort, we have developed working lists of all SPP-WA programs(Appendix 1) and partners (Appendix 2), and recognize the impressive diversity and number ofopportunities offered. We will continue to improve our reporting and tracking methods each year inorder to provide an increasingly comprehensive annual update of all SPP programs.

SPP Mission
The Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) is a partnership founded by the Washington State Departmentof Corrections (WDOC) and The Evergreen State College (Evergreen). Our mission is to bring science andnature into prisons. We conduct ecological research and conserve biodiversity by forging collaborations
with scientists, inmates, prison staff, students, and community partners. Equally important, we help
reduce the environmental, economic, and human costs of prisons by inspiring and informing sustainable
practices.

SPP VisionThis union of ideas and activities – and people inside and outside prison walls – creates a collaborative,
intellectually stimulating environment in which incarcerated men and women play key roles inconservation and advancing scientific knowledge. We encourage teamwork, mutual respect and a
stewardship ethic among individuals who typically have little or no access to nature or opportunities inscience and sustainability. Our vision is not only to save tax dollars and natural resources, but also tohelp incarcerated adults rebuild their lives for the benefit of all.

SPP Essential Components
Although each endeavor and corrections institution is unique, our experiences point to five Essential
Components for every SPP program:
1. Partnerships and collaborations with multiple benefits
2. Bringing nature “inside”
3. Engagement and education
4. Safe and sustainable operations
5. Evaluation, dissemination, and tracking

SPP Staff and Organization Chart
The organization chart below in Figure 1 includes current staff as of July 2015. There are many
corrections, academic, conservation, and community organization staff contributing the success of SPP;
however this chart is limited to core staff at WDOC and Evergreen. For the majority of FY15, SPP was codirected by Dr. Carri LeRoy from Evergreen and Mr. Dan Pacholke from WDOC. In April 2015, Mr. Steve
Sinclair assumed the Director role for the WDOC side of the partnership. SPP Co-Founder Dan Pacholketransitioned from his role as Director to SPP Senior Advisor for Corrections. The organization currently
includes three Senior Advisors, four staff, and nine program coordinators.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report3Program Coordinator positions are staffed by Evergreen students working 19 hours per week. Studentstaff are typically recruited from the Evergreen Master of Environmental Studies graduate program andwork for two year terms. Each summer several students complete their work with SPP and new students
begin. Two individuals not named on the chart below worked in conservation nursery coordinator
positions for SPP during FY15: Jaal Mann and Drissia Ras.

Figure 1. SPP Organizational Chart

Partnerships
Partnerships and collaboration are an essential component of SPP work and nearly every SPP program.
We continually work to identify new potential partners and mutually beneficial programs. A working listof SPP partnerships is included as Appendix 2; during FY15 more than 60 different organizations
contributed to SPP programs in WA.

2. Budget
Regular budget reports were sent to Co-Directors and SPP managers throughout the fiscal year. Reports
include current funding source start and end dates, program areas supported, starting balance, current
balance, notes on the status of the funding source, and payment details. A subsection of the report
includes status information for pending grants, contracts, and awards (see Table 1).
The percentage of funding provided by individual sources varies from month to month as sources
become available or close. In FY15, SPP had just under $500,000 in funds from 11 different sources,
including a contract with WDOC. Other sources consist of state and federal contracts, foundation
donations, private donations, and a federal grant. In addition to the funds expended from various grantand contract sources, staff continuously seek new funding and close out existing grants and contracts. In
FY15 SPP Evergreen staff were responsible for stewarding funds from 19 different sources.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report4Table 1. SPP FY15 Grant and Contract Funding Requests
SourceProgram Area
Funded?

Timeline

CNLM (ACUB & othergrant sources)

conservation nursery

yes

12/1/13-11/30/14

CNLM (ACUB & othergrant sources)

conservation nursery

yes

12/1/14-11/30/15

DOC FY 15

SPP generalyes

7/1/14- 6/30/15

DOC FY 16

SPP generalyes

7/1/15-6/30/16

DOC/CIRoots

yes

8/1/14-6/30/15

DOC/CI
Government
Innovations

Roots

yes

7/1/15-6/30/16

SPP generalnoHAF 2014

Network, eval., SPP generalyes

10/25/13-10/25/14

JBLM

conservation nursery

yes

9/1/14-8/30/15

JBLM

conservation nursery

yes

9/1/14-8/30/15

JBLM

conservation nursery

yes

9/1/15-8/30/16

Norcliffe

bee & composter recycler
certificationno

NSF Conference
Grant

SPP Network

yes

extended from
9/1/12-8/30/15

NSF- Human Natural
Systems

SPP evaluation & Nursery &Butterfly

pending

5/1/16-4/30/21

Seattle Foundation
2013

SPP generalyesunrestricted

Seattle Foundation
2014

SPP generalyesunrestricted

Seattle Foundation
2015

SPP generalyesunrestricted

WDFW Checkerspot

butterflies

yes

1-1-14-12-31-14

WDFW Checkerspot

butterflies

yes

1-1-15-12-31-15*proposals highlighted in green were successfully funded
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report53. Sustainability Job Programs
SPP jobs provide inmates opportunities to contribute to communities and ecosystems while gaining job
training, education, and sustainable living skills. The list included in Table 2 shows all sustainability job
program placements during FY15. This list was developed by a small team of partners representing the
WDOC and Evergreen sides of the SPP partnership.
Depending on the position, participants in sustainability jobs received various levels of training andeducation and exposure to community collaboration, work with living things, and opportunities tocontribute. While all positions listed in Table 2 have been evaluated for linkages to SPP’s Five Essential
Components, we plan to further investigate each program at each facility to establish the relative qualityof each job program. The Green Track initiative (also described under Education Programs) aims toestablish a progression of SPP educational and job programs, and knowing more about each program
will be critical to defining the various levels of the “track”.
In total nearly 3,800 of the approximately 16,800 men and women incarcerated in Washington wereinvolved in sustainability job programs in FY15.
Table 2. FY15 SPP Jobs in WA Prisons

Job Program Title
Agricultural Engineer
AMERICAN BOARDING KENNEL ASSOC
BASIC OBEDIENCE - ABKA
BASIC PET CARE - ABKA
Beekeeper
BICYCLE REPAIR
BIKE & WHEELCHAIR REPAIR
BIO WASTE CUSTODIANBOOK REPAIR
BUTTERFLY REARING TECH
CAT HANDLER
COMMUNITY WORK CREWSCOMPOST WORKER SUSTAINABLE
CRAFT SUSTAINABLE CLRK
Computer Refurbishing
Cultural Crafts ProgramDog Handler Mentor
DOG OBEDIENCE HANDLER
DOG SERVICE HANDLER
DOG SRVCS/OBED SECONDARY
DOG WALKER
Fire Wood Stacker
FISHERIES WORKER I# ofpositions
FY15
9
2
1
17
1
31
9
24
1
8
26
992
17
3
10
12
3
298
27
83
26
7
11

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

6

FOOD SRVCS WASTE RECYCLER
FORESTRY I WORKER
FORESTRY II WORKER
FROG REARING
Furniture Finisher
GROUNDSKEEPER IGROUNDSKEEPER IIHORTICULTURE I WORKER
HORTICULTURE WORKER IIHORTICULTURE-THERAPEUTIC COM
INSIDE GROUNDSKEEPERKENNEL WORKER ABKA
MECHANIC WHEEL CHAIR REPAIR
PRAIRIE PLANT CONSERVATIONRECYCLING WORKER
REGALIA PROGRAM
RE-USE FABRIC-SUSTAINABLE
ROOT Of Success Trainer
SawyerSUSTAINABILITY GROUNDSKEEPERS
Teddy Bear Creations
WASTE TREATMENT OPERATOR II
WASTE TRT 1 OPERATOR
WORM FARM WORKER

172
706
36
5
3
381
54
112
43
13
13
18
2
57
299
2
78
44
13
1
47
9
17
24
3767

4. Sustainable Operations
Sustainable operations are those activities, policies, programs, and infrastructure we engage to reduce
the economic, social, and environmental costs of prisons. Nearly all sustainable operations initiatives
take place in Washington Department of Corrections (Department) prison facilities and are led by
Department staff.
The operational decisions the Department adopts and the opportunities engaged, impact theenvironment both immediately and exponentially. Not only is there an immediate impact, but these
operations are a model which can influence behaviors both at the institutional level and individually.

Progress at a Glance
Table 3. Sustainable Operations Measures
2009
2011
Energy – KWH

410,990,709

367,544,121

2014
344,544,811

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

09-14
16% decrease7

Potable Water – Gallons
Transportation Fuels
Landfill waste – tons
Recycling/composting –tons
Total waste

901,114,209

761,325,278

813,725,299

10% decrease

532,918

367,407402,476

24% decrease

7,011

4,697

3,636

48% decrease

3,333

4,002

4,012

20% increase

10,344

6,371

5,593

46% decrease

EnergyGoals:
 Benchmarking energy consumption of standalone buildings and campuses of over 10,000sqft.
 Implementation of all cost-effective energy efficiency investments identified throughinvestment grade energy audits
 By 2020, a 20 percent reduction of total building energy using a 2009 baseline. Monitoring of
progress toward this goal though use of EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager Benchmarking
Accounts
 Supplying current and continual energy consumption information
Progress:
The Department is on track to meet the above mentioned goals and has achieved a 16% energy
reduction in total building use to date. The cost of energy continues to rise. In 2014, the Department
spent over $14 million to heat and light prison facilities, one million more than in 2013 despite areduction in consumption. The Department continues to look for and implement creative opportunities
to reduce energy consumption. One example includes, facilitating the rapid conversion to LED lighting by
creating a fast track purchasing mechanism within the Department. WDOC has issued a policy
statement requiring all facilities to purchase only LED replacement bulbs and equipment for florescenttube replacement. The replacement of all T5, T8, and T12 lighting will significantly reduce energy
consumption. This systemic change in lighting technology will reduce energy consumption, andsignificantly reduce bulb waste and staff time currently dedicated to more frequent bulb replacement
associated with older florescent technology.

Water Conservation
Goal:
The Department’s water conservation goal is to achieve a maximum consumption rate of 115 gallons per
offender per day in minimum security settings and 130 gallons per offender per day in higher custodyfacilities. This goal is under review as required by our Statewide Water System Plan.
Progress:
In 2014:
 Minimum security facilities consumed potable water at a rate of 116.6 gallons per offender perday Higher custody facilities consumed potable water at a rate of 117 gallons per offender per day From 2009-2014, prison facilities have reduced the consumption of potable water by 10%
Strategies to reduce potable water include: Installation of rain water catchment systems
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

8





Low flow irrigation design: using timers and drip irrigation systems
Low flow toilets and showers are now standard features in all facilities
Planting native and drought-tolerant plants, especially at eastside facilities: CRCC, WSP, and
AHCC to reduce the need for landscape irrigation.

We are also looking for opportunities to fund infrastructure projects to complete delivery of reclaimed
water to AHCC and WCC. Both facilities have the potential to utilize municipally supplied reclaimed
water to offset the use of potable water in gardens and plant maintenance operations. Funding isneeded to complete the necessary reclaimed water infrastructure upgrades.

Transportation Fuels
Goal:



To reduce transportation fuel consumption by 20% from the 2009 consumption rate.
To increase the use of biofuels or electric vehicle use (to the extent practicable) toward the
100% usage of these fuel types to satisfy transportation needs.

Progress:
The Departments’ transportation fuel consumption has decreased by 21% from 2009 to 2014.

Transportation Fuel Consumption in Gallons
Per Offender Per Day
0.09

0.08

0.08
0.07
0.057

0.06

0.063

0.05
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
0
2009

2011

2014

Figure 2. Fuel Consumption Comparisons*Reflects WDOC prisons fuel consumption only.

Department use of biodiesel has not increased. Biodiesel is currently only being utilized by operations at
WCC. WCC was an early adopter of this alternative fuel when it first became available beginning in 2003.
They have continued to work through periodic issues associated with fuel quality and equipment
compatibility and shoulder the associated cost increases.
The Department continues to invest in zero emission vehicles and charging stations. The Department
Currently leases three zero emission, all electric vehicles and one transitional zero emission vehicle forstandard transportation applications.
In addition, the Department routinely utilizes zero emission facility support vehicles. These low speed
vehicles replace gas or diesel powered vehicles in all aspects of facility operations and support. The
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report9Department currently owns and operates 24 of these all electric vehicles with 3 more approved forpurchase.
The Department has further renewed its commitment to reduce transportation fuel use and emissions
by pledging to West Coast Electric Fleets that it will evaluate Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEF) during all
fleet purchases and leases; looking for any opportunity where a ZEV vehicle could fit operational needs.
While the Department aspires to a greater commitment to ZEVs, the vast majority of fleet vehicles servein response and patrol roles making it impractical to pledge a higher level of replacement. However,Transitional Zero-Emissions Vehicles (TZEVs) such as the Chevy Volt, do in many cases meet operational
requirements. Therefore, the Department also commits to evaluating the procurement of TZEV’s toreplace fleet vehicles in all applicable cases and can replace a significant percentage of its fleet with
TZEVs

Waste
Goal: Reduce waste going to the land fill to .5 pounds per offender per day.
Progress: Total waste generation continues to trend steadily downward. Much of this progress can be
attributed to success in diverting food waste. Facilities are continuing to improve their up-stream
diversion efforts.
The standard waste management protocol expected at all facilities is that any trash receptacle must be
co-located with the appropriate diversion/recycle receptacles. This gives staff and offenders theconvenient opportunity to responsibly manage their waste.
Although waste reduction is continuing with steady progress, the Department is not on track to reachthe goal of 0.5 pounds per day by the close of 2015. However, the trend shows waste should be below
1.0 pound per offender per day by the end of 2015, a notable reduction.

Landfilled Waste
pounds per offender per day
2

1.9

1.8

1.6

1.6

1.5

1.4

1.4

1.3
1.1

1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Figure 3. Landfill Waste ComparisonsSustainable Purchasing
Sustainable purchasing must be a major part of future waste reduction efforts. As recycle markets
remain unstable and many waste streams must still go to the landfill, we need to look at reducing the
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report10amount of materials brought into facilities. We should be reducing our consumption of environmentally
harmful products and packaging, rejecting products that perpetuate harm to our environment, andlooking for more environmentally preferable options. The Department has developed a Sustainable
Purchasing Policy compelling those involved in procurement and product selection to consider
environmentally preferable options.

Sustainable Food Service
Two programs stand out in efforts to improve the sustainability of our food service operations. These
are the Farm to Prison and Garden to Table projects.
Both have similar goals:







Reduce the carbon inputs associated with food production and procurement
Improve the health and well-being of our populations and communities
Strengthen our food security
Waste reduction
Provide skills and opportunities that support successful reentry
Development of community partnerships

Farm to Prison
Our farm to prisons program began as a pilot modeled after the Farm to School Program. Althoughduring the first year of the pilot the two test facilities realized a 26% cost savings on effected purchases,
the pilot did not replace a significant amount of traditionally sourced produce. The pilot is now
technically discontinued, but the mechanisms are still available to facilitate direct sales between small
local farms and our facilities.
The main reasons the program did not have more impact were:

Farms could realize higher prices for their produce elsewhere
Volumes needed by facilities cannot be met by small farms
Delivery was difficult or not cost effective for farms

That said, several of our facilities maintain regular and mutually beneficial relationships with small local
farms. Even more interesting is the amount of inquiry the pilot continues to receive from around thecounty.
Garden to Table
Gardening at prison facilities has deep roots going back many years, but it has been just in the past
several years that facility grounds have been reclaimed for various garden projects with such rapidity.
Garden space at facilities has increased significantly, claiming lawns and gravel yards. Production ofvegetables has increased with more emphasis on growing produce that can be easily utilized by facility
food service operations.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report11Carrots harvested from the many gardens at AHCC go straight to theprison kitchen, and onto inmates' plates. Photo by AHCC staff.

The concern for local food system security and growthof a healthy local agricultural economy continues togain traction and support. Our communities andgovernments are realizing we must make the best of
our local resources and strengthen our regions capacity
for local food production, networks, and food security.
In addition, growing, sourcing, and utilizing fresh
produce in our facilities creates meaningful jobs, andeducational opportunities in food production, care andhandling, storage, and food preparation. These are skills that are empowering and stimulate healthy andproductive conversations within the inmate population and that are shared with their family members
and communities.

5. Community Contribution Programs
SPP’s community contribution programs sustainability programs that directly contribute to the outsidecommunity. These programs typically are partnerships between corrections centers and community
organizations. Creating partnerships with correctional facilities allows community organizations toincrease capacity and provides offenders options to contribute to the world outside the secure
perimeter. Many of these programs are well-established and predate SPP. Our objective is toacknowledge and support these productive partnerships, and to provide a comprehensive overview
report of activities taking place statewide.
SPP’s conservation and sustainable operations programs also make community contributions; forexample, the Conservation Nurseries provides hundreds of thousands of plants to regional restoration,and sustainable operations programs contribute by reducing prisons’ environmental footprint andsaving taxpayer dollars. Those contributions are detailed in other sections of this report. SPP programs
focused on community contributions are described here under a few categories.

Dog and Cat ProgramsDog and cat programs are the most common example of community contribution programs, and arecommon in prisons across Washington. These programs are considered part SPP because of thecharacteristics they have in common with conservation programs and their strong connection to SPP’s
five Essential Components. Nearly all of WA’s prisons have formed one or more partnerships with
community non–profits to create programs in which offenders train dogs and cats for general or service
animal adoption. Inmates receive support from partner organizations to provide excellent animal careand obedience training. There were 501 incarcerated men and women participating in dog or cat
programs in prisons across the state in FY15. A complete list of FY15 dog and cat programs and partners
is included below.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report12Table 4. FY15 Dog and Cat Programs
PrisonAHCC

Program focus
Pawsitive Dogs: dog
adoptionDog adoption
Service dogs forveterans

Partner Organizations
Diamonds in the Ruff and Spokanimal

CRCC

Ridge Dogs: dog
adoption

CRCC
LCC

Cat adoption
Larch Cat Adoption
Program (LCAP)
Dog adoption

Benton Franklin Humane Society, Adams
County Pet Rescue and Forgotten Dogs
RescueNew programWest Columbia Gorge Humane Societyand Humane Society for SW Washington
Summit Assistance Dogs

CBCC
CCCC

MCC-TRU

MCC
OCC
SCCC
SCCC
WCC
WCCW

WSP
WSP

Welfare Animal Guild (WAG!)
Brigadoon Service Dogs

Cat adoption
Dog adoption
Freedom Tails: dog
adoption
Service dogs forveterans
Law enforcement
dogs
Dog adoption,
service dogs, dog
care (client services
to therapy dogs,
grooming &kenneling)

Purrfect Pals
Olympic Peninsula Humane Society
Harbor Association of Volunteers for
Animals (HAVA)Brigadoon Service Dogs

Dog adoption
Cat adoption

Blue Mountain Humane SocietyBlue Mountain Humane Society

Prison Pet Partnership (program
originated in 1981!); Collar of Hope

Known Highlights FY15
20 dogs adopted

22 dogs to veterans to provides
services including diabetic alert,
mobility assistance, andbehavioral health300 dogs in 2014, 900 dogs
since 2010

20 dogs, 4 of which were
eligible for training as service
dogs; 76 offenders participated

Cared for more than 10,500
animals, average occupancy of101%; 28 dogs adopted;
offenders gave 180 hours ofservice dog instruction tocommunity volunteers;
nationally certify groomers

We have heard from inmates and staff alike that pet programs are a benefit to all involved, and to thelarger prison community as well. We have heard numerous testimonials on both the in-prison and postrelease benefits of pet programs. The quote below from a dog trainer at CRCC provides a nice example:

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report13

Reclaim, Repurpose or Restore, and Donate
Consistent with the earliest days of SPP programs, WA prisons have a mindset to “throw nothing away,”
to pull from a waste stream (within or outside the prison) and transform refuse into something of value.

This gorgeous chess set was made from reclaimed wood in WSP's Sustainable
Practices Lab; it will be donated to raise funds for a local charity. Photo by Joslyn
Rose Trivett.

Looking at reports of offender job programs, 242 offenders are
employed in this area of work. This is likely an underestimation.
Every program within WSP’s Sustainable Practices Lab repurposesmaterials for community donation, ~140 inmates work in those
programs, and only some of those programs are represented in the summary below. Similar omissions
exist for other prisons as well.
In some cases, these programs directly meet an organization’s need, such as quilts to a homelessshelter, refurbished computers to schools, and produce to food banks. In other cases, they donate
handmade or restored creations for organizational fundraising.
Table 5. FY15 Community Contributions Programs to Reclaim, Repurpose, Restore, or Donate
PrisonAHCC

Known Partner Organizations
School District 81

AHCC

Program focus
Computerrefurbishment
Firewood cutting

AHCC

Horticulture

Second Harvest Food Bank

CCCC

Horticulture

CCCC

Wood reclaim

Rochester Organization of Families(ROOF) & Thurston County Food BankDNR Urban and Community Forestry
Program

SNAP Spokane

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

Known Highlights FY15
17 computer systems were
donated to schools
donated 493 cords of wood to
low-income households
200 lbs of produce to a nonprofit (and 1000 lbs since!)
6.5 tons of produce to otherprisons and local food banks
Donate to Evergreen woodshop
and area nonprofits

14

CRCC

Teddy bears

LCC
LCC
MCC
MCC

Firewood cutting
Horticulture
Wheelchair repair
Vermicomposting

OCC
SCCC
WCC

Firewood cutting
Bicycle andwheelchair repair
Horticulture

WCCW

Bicycle repair

WCCW

Horticulture

WCCW

Floral Design

Tacoma Community College

WSP-SPL
WSP-SPL
WSP-SPL

Bicycle repair
Cultural crafts
Fabric crafts (teddy
bears, quilts, etc.)
Sign Shop
Wood and carving
shop

Crime Watch
Carnegie Art Foundation

WSP-SPL
WSP-SPL

100s of teddy bears sinceprogram launch 18 months ago
Clark County Food Bank
Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center,
City of Monroe

Grew 5000 flowers for the city;
worm bins for occupational
therapy program at Fircrest;
gave 2 million worms to otherprograms (other prisons,schools, and centers)

Lion’s Club
City Reach Food Bank, Thurston County
Food Bank, Saint’s Pantry Food Bank,
Shelton Community Kitchen
Port Orchard Kiwanis Club’s rodeo,
JBLM families, Gear Up
Tacoma Community College, WSU
Master Gardeners, Mother Earth Farm

17,340 lbs to food banks (2015season)165 bikes donated to kids
Mother Earth Farm donated
75,000 pounds of fresh produce
to the Food Network to
distribute to local food banks;
participated in Master
Gardeners spring plant sale
Arranged 20+ weddings, 15+
funerals, 12+ community events
SPL donated 199 items to stateagencies (e.g. refurbished signfor state park) and 25262 items
to 105 non-profit charities!

Community Work Crews
The minimum security prisons (LCC, OCC, MCCCW, and CCCC) and units (Minimum Security Unit=”MSU”)
house inmates for a relatively short time preceding release. Many minimum security inmates areallowed to work “outside the fence”, and join offsite crews. These crews are a vehicle for positively
reconnecting to the outside community: providing exposure to and experience in the world outside thefence, while contributing needed community services. Participation in these crews can ease thetransition back to the community post-release.
These crews employ more inmates than any other kind of program under the SPP umbrella, 1,772
incarcerated men and women this fiscal year. With so many inmates participating at hundreds of sites
statewide, we need to learn more about these programs, including how well each does and does not fit
the SPP model.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report15

Table 6. Community Work Crews
PrisonAHCC

Crew typeCommunity Work
Crew
Forestry

Known Community Partners

Known Highlights FY15

DNR and WA State Parks

CCCC

Community Work
Crew

CCCC
CCCC

Forestry
Prairie Restoration
Crew

All crews: 47 community sites!
(e.g. City of Tumwater, Left Foot
Organics, Black Hills School)
DNR
CNLM, DNR, JBLM, Friends ofPuget Prairies, and others

Planted ~390,000 trees in ~1200
acres; fire fuelreduction/vegetation managementfor 715 acres.
All crews: 34,974 Hours to support
local community contracts

CRCC-MSU

Community Work
Crew
Community Work
Crew
Community WorkCrew

AHCC-MSU

LCC
MCCCW

MCCCW

Fisheries

MCC-WSRMSU
WCCWCommunity Work
Crew
Organic Farm Crew

Dedicated to full-time prairie
restoration in southern Thurston
County19 community sites (e.g. Girl
Scout camp, Grapeview School,
Kitsap Conservation District)Landscape and facilities
maintenance including noxious
weed removal & trail maintenance
11 inmates dedicated to marking
and releasing salmonids for 3
monthsMother Earth Farm

1 day of class/4 days at farm
weekly6. Conservation Programs
SPP conservation programs represent ambitious collaborations among multiple partners. Each program
receives crucial support from a variety of contributors including inmates, corrections staff, SPP graduate
student staff from Evergreen, SPP staff, agency scientists, and community partners. Program success isdependent on each participant contributing their expertise and time. Programs are designed tomaximize benefits for each collaborator by sharing workload and leveraging resources.

Oregon Spotted Frog Program
The Oregon spotted frog (OSF; Rana pretiosa) is a state-listed endangered species and federally-listed
threatened species; this warm water marsh species has vanished from an estimated 70% of its historicrange. Since 2009, SPP has partnered with the OSF recovery group: scientists and conservation leadersfrom the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and three zoos.
With support of the recovery group, SPP has participated in a program to head start OSF in captivity andrelease them to wetlands in Pierce County.
Inmates, staff, and students have worked together to successfully raise 879 OSF in six seasons at Cedar
Creek Corrections Center (CCCC; see Table 7). Inmate technicians are excellent at captive rearing work.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

16

They routinely achieve high rates of survival and raise large frogs closer to reproductive maturity at thetime of release. Since 2009, 13 inmate technicians have received herpetological training, six graduate
students have coordinated the program, and four corrections staff have served as WDOC staff liaison for
the frog and turtle programs. Since fall 2013, four inmate technicians have been awarded SPP
certifications for their work and demonstrated knowledge in the herpetology program.
In 2013, the OSF captive rearing program was temporarily put on hold during recovery plan updates.
Captive rearing resumed in 2014 in CCCC’s new herpetological area, designed to house both the Oregon
Spotted Frog and Western Pond Turtle programs.
The OSF program is scheduled to be put on hold during an evaluation period by the US Fish and Wildlife
Service. This year may have been the last year for head starting OSF—we await further informationfrom our partners.
Table 7. Oregon Spotted Frog Rearing at CCCC March 2009 – October 2015
Eggs
Received

NumberReleased

Overall
Survival

Overwintering
Received

Overwintering
Released

Overall
Survival

Total
Released

2009

80

62

84%

5

5

100%

67

2010

99

82

83%

29

26

90%

108

2011

256 (202
viable)

163

81%

67

59

88%

222

2012

368

247

67%

11

4

36%

251

2014

100

Year

2015
TOTAL

269 (201
viable)1172(1050
viable)

64

64%

0

N/A

N/A

64

167

83%

0

N/A

N/A

167

785

77%

112

94

84%

879

Frog technician Angelmeyer bids good-bye to the frogs he helped raise at CCCC. Photo by Sadie Gilliom.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report17

Western Pond Turtle Program
The western pond turtle (Emys marmorata) is a state-listed endangered species and federal species ofconcern. The turtles once ranged from the Puget Sound lowlands through western Oregon andCalifornia to Baja, California. Recovery in Washington will require long-term efforts because the turtles
mature slowly, requiring up to 10 years to produce their first offspring. Led by Washington Departmentof Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), partners have been working toward the recovery of western pond turtles
since the late 1990s. At the start of recovery efforts, only about 150 turtles remained in the wild in two
locations. Today, more than 2150 captive-reared turtles have been released at 6 locations. In 2013, SPP
joined partners to assist in on-going recovery efforts. The results of SPP’s contributions are listed inTable 8 below.
In recent years, some western pond turtles have been afflicted by an infection of the shell (“shelldisease”). In some individual turtles the disease requires an initial period of intensive care provided byveterinarians at PAWS. After completing intensive care treatments, some turtles are moved to Cedar
Creek Corrections Center (CCCC) to receive extended care provided by two trained inmate technicians.
An existing building at CCCC was modified to provide an appropriate environment for turtle
rehabilitation. The technicians provide daily maintenance care while the turtle’s shells complete thehealing process. As each individual turtle heals, it can be released back into the wild. After their release,
WDFW monitors the turtles in the wild for health and ability to reproduce. Inmate technicians receive
SPP certifications for this work (in combination with their participation in the Oregon Spotted Frog
Rearing program).
Table 8. Western Pond Turtle Rehabilitation at CCCC 2013 - July 2015
Year
2013

Turtles Received
8

Turtles Released220142015 (as of July
2015)

14

17

3

6

Total

25

25

Conservation Nursery Programs
Since 2009, SPP has steadily expanded programs to produce native plants for ecological restoration. Our
first conservation nursery program started at Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC) in 2009. This year
we invested significant effort into launching two new programs: violet seed production at Washington
Correction Center (WCC) and Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) and sagebrush plug
production at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center (CRCC). We now operate a total of five conservation
nursery programs throughout the state.
Sagebrush Conservation Nursery
Early spring 2015, 20,000 sagebrush plants were sown at CRCC. Due to the dedication of corrections
staff, partners, and inmates, the program was able to overcome early season challenges to flourish. The
CRCC Maintenance Department played a critical role in program operation. All maintenance staff sharedprogram coverage when the primary corrections supervisor was not available. This program also
represents a new model for SPP conservation program operation: a contractor, Gretchen Graber from
WSU, supported program coordination and education elements.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report18

Program funding support was provided primarily by partners with the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE)and the Bureau of Land Management. The CRCC program is part of a multi-state effort led by IAE torestore habitat for the greater sage-grouse. Sagebrush prison programs are currently operating inOregon, Idaho, and Washington prisons, with plans to expand to other states. Sagebrush plants will be
outplanted on BLM lands November 2015. Building on a successful first season, this program will expandin 2016 to include more plants and a second sagebrush-steppe plant species.
This season, five inmate technicians participated in the program and each received certification. From
April to June 2015, we provided two lectures on sagebrush; approximately 50 inmates and corrections
staff attended the first, and five sagebrush technicians and corrections staff attended the second. Next
season the collaboration will expand educational programming for participants and the general
population.
Prairie Conservation Nurseries
SPP continues to be among the most generative organizations for South Puget lowland prairie
restoration. SPP receives funding support for the Prairie Conservation Nursery Program from the Center
for Natural Lands Management (CNLM) and Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM). Plants produced by SPP’s
prairie conservation nurseries are used by state and federal agencies and conservation organizations
including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, JBLM, WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, WA Dept. of Natural
Resources, and CNLM. In close collaboration with CNLM, the program supplies plants to an increasing
list of agencies. The National Park Service and the National Forest Service are the newest national
partners.
Plant-Plug Production
During FY15 the prairie conservation nursery program operated plant production at three sites: Stafford
Creek Corrections Center (SCCC), Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW), and Shotwell’s
Landing Nursery. Shotwell’s Landing is supported by a Prairie Conservation Crew from Cedar Creek
Corrections Center (CCCC), a crew of 10 inmate technicians dedicated to prairie restoration at multiple
sites in Thurston County. Currently, the three nursery sites have an annual sowing capacity of 700,000
plugs, and produce up to 420,000 viable plant-plugs annually. In 2014, the nursery delivered 373,602
plant plugs for Taylor’s checkerspot recovery and regional prairie restoration (see Table 9). In 2015, weare on track to deliver more than 400,000 plants.
Overall, while increasing production and species diversity, SPP’s Prairie Conservation Nursery Program
has maintained high survival rates—while a 50% delivery rate may not seem impressive, consideringthat none of the species grown are commercially successful, 50% is phenomenal. The total number ofplant-plugs produced since 2009 is also impressive: we have surpassed 1.5 million during the reporting
period.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report19

Table 9. SPP Conservation Nursery Program Plant-Plug Production Summary, 2009-2015
2009*
Plantplugs
Sown
WinterSown
SummerTotal Sown
Total Sown
Capacity
Percent ofCapacity
Total
Requested
Percent
Deliveredof Sown
Total
Delivered0
189,000
189,000200,000
95%
100,00
0

2010*
#
sp

2012

2013

2014

Total/
Average

2015**

Plantplugs#
sp

Plantplugs#
sp

Plantplugs#
sp

Plantplugs#
sp

Plantplugs#
sp

Plantplugs#
sp

Plantplugs-

0127,200

5

272,85024

452,36831

478,600

38

467,960

34

1,331,018

9

338,485

15

163,600

9

218,400

12

227,16420

319,375

34

297,22430

1,267,024

9

338,48515

290,800

14

491,25036

679,53251

797,97572

765,18464

2,598,042

952%
98,0002011*

320,000

320,000

470,000

650,000

700,000

700,000

106%

91%

105%

105%

114%

109%

103%

425,6142,403,074

415,500

1751%
9173,336

320,600

19

72%
15

209,057

421,260

42

68%
14

336,341

402,000

65

55%
38

375,242

418,100

72

47%
42

373,60258%
68

56,204**

1,523,782* 2009, 2010, 2011 totals show for SCCC nursery only; 2011 SCCC nursery site relocation disrupted plant production that year**2015 Sown Winter and Total Delivered reported as of June 30, 2015; total Sown Summer as projected

Seed Production
Two new projects were started in 2014-15 to cultivate early blue violet (Viola adunca) for seedproduction. A combined total of 5,400 square feet are devoted to violets at WCCW and WCC. The
infrastructure for these projects was fully funded by JBLM’s Fish and Wildlife program and CNLM. At
WCC, the program is located in the Skill Builders Unit (SBU) where it is integrated into the Centralia
College horticulture program for inmates with severe cognitive and behavioral challenges.
The preliminary harvest numbers for violet seeds are outstanding: we have achieved more than twice
the normal harvest rate for this species. The cultivation, harvest and cleaning of the early blue violet isan intensive process requiring trained, diligent labor. The corrections centers offer an excellent
opportunity to provide assistance. However, the production of seed within the context of the SBU
requires significant personnel resources. While SPP has dedicated substantial personnel time to theprogram (see Training and Education, below), we need to further increase our onsite availability fortraining and supervision to provide appropriate training to the SBU. SPP will also work closely with WCC
to identify staffing resources from the offender population to increase the offender-teaching assistantto-student ratio. We expect this staffing issue to take some time for SPP and the WCC administration toresolve.
Training and Education
SPP’s graduate student program coordinators provide frequent and direct guidance and education toinmate technicians. The graduate students serve as the primary liaisons between all partners, including
the WDOC staff who supervise and counsel the inmates. Since 2010, the Conservation Nursery Program
has trained nearly 150 inmate technicians, 14 graduate students have provided program coordination,and 5 corrections staff have served as program supervisors. At the four nurseries, we offered 24 lectures
and 97 workshops during the reporting period. Further details are provided in Table 10.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report20

Table 10. Conservation Nursery Lectures and Workshops July 1 2014-June 30, 2015
SPP Staff

Graduate
Students

ProgramPartners

Total
Presenters

DOC
Attendees

SCCC

1

4

0

5

27

WCCW

1

4

CCCC - Shotwell's Landing

3

4

1

6

10

6

13

WCC

0

33

0

0

0

0

Total

5

12

7

24

70

SCCC

4

8

0

12

27

WCCW

4

20

1

25

10

CCCC - Shotwell's Landing

4

12

4

20

33

WCC

14

26

0

40

26

Total

26

66

5

97

70

Lectures

Workshops

This year, SPP offered extra workshops at WCCW and WCC to address the intricacies of violet seedcollection and cleaning. At WCCW, this seemed to result in boosted crew morale and retention. Creatinga new project at WCC’s SBU required extensive preparation and contact with the offender technicians.
In cooperation with Centralia College, SPP researches and presents curricula fitting the diverse andvariable learning levels of SBU offenders. Often, the graduate student staff spends twice the amount oftime presenting at WCC as compared to WCCW. The extra time investment is required for SBU crew’s
comprehension; increased contact time also fosters trust between SPP staff and the crew.

SBU crew share their enthusiasm for the horticultural program at
WCC. Photo by Sue Sheldon of Centralia College.

The violet seed project is funded by contracts fromconservation land managers at JBLM and CNLM, partners
who have demonstrated strong support for SPP’s mission
to bring restoration ecology into a corrections
environment. However, funds for conservation on south
Puget prairies are finite, and the new program at WCC isproving funding-intensive. Their support of the program is assured through 2016. SPP will propose
means for WDOC to partially or wholly fund the educational component of the violet seed program at
WCC in FY17, while the conservation partners continue to fund the infrastructure and direct seed
processing training.
Program Improvements
In FY14 and FY15, SPP staff implemented three strategies to improve the Conservation Nursery Program:
1. more consistent SPP staff presence, 2. increased educational offerings, and 3. professionalizing
technician certification. Comparing retention rate and certification awards between the two years, we
see a correlation (Tables 11 and 12). In the second year, more participants earned certificates, and weretained more offender technicians (fewer participants means less annual turnover). The certification
rate rose at SCCC by 44% and at WCCW by 27%.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

21

The exception was for CCCC’s offsite crew; they have struggled with security issues leading to infractions
and dismissal from the crew. These issues are primarily the responsibility of CCCC’s custody staff, but
SPP has participated in problem solving meetings with the CCCC off-site team and the crew member’s
counselors. We recognize that program participation and completion are impacted by a number offactors beyond our control including infraction, release, and job assignment changes.
Table 11: Conservation Nursery Certificates July 1 2014-June 30, 2015
Location

800
hours

400
hours

Total

Total
Participants% Certified

SCCC

7

4

11

14

79%

WCCW

1

2

3

5

60%

CCCC - Shotwell's Landing

3

4

7

22

32%

Total

11

10

21

41

51%

Table 12: Conservation Nursery Certificates March 2013-March 2014
Location

800
hours

400
hours

Total

Total
Participants% Certified

SCCC

3

6

9

26

35%

WCCW

3

0

3

9

33%

CCCC - Shotwell's Landing

4

9

13

32

41%

Total

10

15

25

67

37%

Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly Program and Other Pollinator Programs
SPP has engaged the patience and diligence of inmate technicians to achieve great success with
pollinating insects including honey bees and two species of butterflies.
Four prisons raised honeybees in FY15. These programs provide training for inmate technicians andcontribute to rebuilding bee populations. WCCCW added a new beekeeping program this year,
complementing the beekeeping experience some inmates gain offsite at Mother Earth Farm. In
partnership with Olympia Beekeepers, CCCC offered the first known apprentice level beekeeping
certification in a prison. In response to interest from multiple facilities, SPP is developing a funding
proposal to expand beekeeping and apprentice beekeeping certification programs to more prisons in
FY16.
Fall 2014, inmate technicians and staff in the Mental Health Unit at WSP reared and tagged 1,345
monarchs for release. This program is operated in partnership with Washington State University
professor Dr. David James.
Our flagship pollinator program is with the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly (Euphydras editha taylori), a
Federally-endangered species that once flourished from southern British Columbia to central Oregon.
Only a few small, isolated populations of the butterfly remain. The SPP rearing facility at Mission Creek
Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW) adds to the scope and resilience of recovery efforts andbolsters the original rearing program at the Oregon Zoo. The first Taylor’s checkerspot caterpillars weredelivered to MCCCW February 2012. The end of FY15 marks the completion of the program’s fourth

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report22successful breeding season. Three cohorts of these animals have been cared for by inmate technicians at
MCCCW throughout their complete life cycle.
As of September 2015, inmate technicians, students, corrections staff, and partners have reared andreleased more than 8,000 caterpillars and adult butterflies onto South Sound prairies. More than 21
inmate technicians have received animal husbandry training, 3 graduate students have coordinated theprogram, and 3 WDOC staff have served as liaisons. Since fall 2013, SPP has issued 7 certificates forinmate technicians completing training in the program.
In July 2014, 2,731 caterpillars went into diapause (animal dormancy) at MCCCW for the winter. A totalof 2,701 caterpillars survived diapause, an over-wintering survival rate of 99.1%. In late February andearly March of 2015, we released 2,234 caterpillars at two sites within Glacial Heritage Preserve and
JBLM. The 240 captive-bred caterpillars that were retained contributed to the 2015 breeding season. In
spring 2015, 5,376 eggs were collected from both wild and captive bred females. Rearing outcomes forthis reporting period are summarized in Table 13.
Table 13. Taylor’s Checkerspot Rearing and Adult Butterfly Breeding at MCCCW July 2014 - June 2015
Into
Diapause
July 2014

Wild

Released
February/March 201
5Retained for
Breeding
March
2015

1,549

240 (120transferred to
OR Zoo)20

1,934

Egg Laying
Females
April/May
2015

Eggs
Produced
May/June
2015

2,688

2,688
Captive-bred

685

685

0

26

Second Diapause
Caterpillars

36

36

0

N/A

N/A

Unidentifiable
Caterpillars

76

76

0

N/A

N/A

2,731

2,346

240

TotalsSustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

5,376

23

7. Education Programs
Education is integral to SPP’s programs; our aim is to make the most of formal and informal
opportunities for education, and to offer new knowledge and new practice to inmates, staff, and allpartners. SPP programs dedicated to education as a central focus include our Science and Sustainability
Lecture Series, an environmental literacy course called Roots of Success, and those community college
programs related to nature and/or sustainability.

Community College Courses
CCCC, MCC, WCC, and WCCW offer vocational horticultural classes, and those students gain access toclassroom instruction and hands-on work in those prisons extensive gardens. At CCCC, horticulture
graduates may be hired as Teaching Assistants who largely oversee the greenhouses, aquaculture
program, and many fields. At MCC, the students interface with the vermicomposting program which has
a robust scientific basis. At WCC, the students also participate in SPP’s conservation nursery, producing
seeds of a prairie violet essential to rare and endangered butterflies in the region. WCCW’s students
have access to diverse specialties such as flower arrangements, house plants, and farming.
Through a partnership with Peninsula College, CBCC and OCC recently started offering Green Building
and Carpentry. Other facilities also have vocational building programs that include green building
modules.
In FY15, SPP met with Brian Walsh, former instructor at CBCC, and now the Policy Associate for
Corrections Education at Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. We shareinterest in creating more sustainability-related vocational programs. Planning is in progress for anarboriculture education program, leveraging the expertise of DNR’s Community Forestry program.

Lecture Series
During fiscal year 2015, highlights from SPP’S Science and Sustainability Lecture Series include:








Early development for a lecture series in the Intensive Management Unit (IMU) at Monroe
Correctional Complex with the help of Mike Walker, IMU and ITU Program Manager
Development underway for a lecture series at Washington Corrections Center; Associate
Superintendent Dean Mason created a lecture series DOC staff-team who visited the lecture
series program at SCCC and met with staff; program expected to begin fall 2015
Lecture series certificates now recommend transfer credits for enrolled students at The
Evergreen State College (Evergreen)
Met high demand for scientific nature drawing with two workshops on that topic
Held the first live animal presentation at SCCC
In response to high demand and limited classroom space at SCCC, updated lecture series sign up
to first-come-first serve
First presentation by previously incarcerated lecturers (SCCC 5/25/2015)

Overall attendance of the Lecture Series for FY15 continued to increase, and was up 11% at SCCC and 7%
at WCCW compared to FY14. This is likely due to no cancelled lectures this year; for the first time, alecture was held at both WCCW and SCCC every month for the first time—no emergent security
situations interfered, and no lecturers canceled at the last minute!
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report24Lecture topics and number of inmate-attendees at both facilities are detailed in Tables 14 and 15 (due torepeat attendance, many students are counted more than once).
Table 14. Summary of Lecture Series at Stafford Creek Corrections Center FY15
Date
7/17/2014

8/21/2014

9/18/201410/16/2014
11/20/2014
12/18/2014

1/22/2015

2/19/2015

3/19/2015
4/16/2015

5/25/2015

6/21/2015

Presenter
Dr. Carri LeRoySPP Co-Director and Memberof the Faculty, Evergreen
State College
Tiffany Webb
SPP Lecture Series Program
Coordinator and MES
Graduate Candidate,Evergreen State College
Allie Feidt
Education and Outreach
Coordinator,
South Puget Sound Salmon
Enhancement Group
Jonathan Betz-Zall
Member of the Faculty,
Highline College
Kirk Hafner, M.S.
South Sound Solar, Inc.
Tiffany Webb
SPP & TESC
Lindsey Hamilton, Bri
Morningred, & Tiffany WebbSPP Program Coordinators &MES Graduate Candidates
Linda Glasier, PhD
Washington Department of
Ecology (ECY)
Joy Ramstack Hobbs, PhD
Science Museum ofMinnesota
Ben Alexander
Sound Native Plants
Kristin Covey, Jonathan
Jones-Thomas, & Brian Funk
Brightwater Treatment
Center, King County
Bethany Alender, Patrick
Ferguson, & Laura Milleville
MES Graduate Candidates,
Evergreen State College

Topic

Attendance

SPP Host

Scientific Nature Drawing
Workshop37

Tiffany Webb

Scientific Nature Drawing
Workshop31

Tiffany Webb

Salmon Habitat
Restoration in the Puget
Sound

78

Tiffany Webb

Introduction toEnvironmental Justice37

Tiffany Webb

55

Tiffany Webb69

Tiffany WebbSPP Overview & Virtual
Tour of Sustainability in
WA Prisons

53

Tiffany Webb

Stormwater andConstruction Runoff

60

Tiffany Webb

Diatoms: Microscopic
Windows to the Past

68

Tiffany Webb

Native Plant Propagation

65

Tiffany Webb

Wastewater Treatment &Job Opportunities

64

Tiffany Webb

MES Thesis Presentations

59

Tiffany Webb

676

SCCC

Solar Energy and Job
Opportunities
Environmental Justice(follow up from 10/16
lecture)Total

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report25

Table 15. Summary of Lecture Series at Washington Corrections Center for Women FY15
Date
7/1/2014

9/9/2014

10/7/2014

11/4/201412/16/14

1/13/2015

2/3/2015

3/3/2015

4/7/2015

5/2/2015

6/2/2015

Presenter
Scott Morgan Sustainability
Director,
Evergreen State College
Jeff Antonelis-Lapp
Member of the Faculty,
Evergreen State College
Danica Hendrickson andKimberly Corrigan
Facing the Future
Sustainability Curricula
Millie Piazza, PhD
Environmental Justice
Coordinator,
Washington Department of
Ecology (ECY)
Tiffany Webb
SPP & TESC
Sadie Gilliom, Lindsey
Hamilton & Tiffany WebbSPP Coordinators
Lynne WeberWest Sound Wildlife
Shelter
Joy Ramstach Hobbs, PhD
Science Museum ofMinnesota
Rus Higley
Marine Science andTechnology Center (MaST)
at Highline College
Ben Alexander
Sound Native Plants
Dr. Kevin Francis andChelsea Smith Waddell
MES Director and MES
Graduate Candidate,Evergreen State College

Topic

Attendance

Sustainability Workshop

SPP Host
Tiffany Webb

40
Natural History of Mt.
Tahoma (Rainier)Fueling the Future: Fossil
Fuels and Alternative
Energy Workshop

Tiffany Webb

18
Tiffany Webb

43

Introduction toEnvironmental Justice inWashington State

Tiffany Webb

46
Environmental Justice(follow-up from 11/4
lecture)SPP Overview & Virtual
Tour of Sustainability in WA
Prisons

Tiffany Webb

32
Tiffany Webb

41

Live Animal Presentation

Tiffany Webb

56
Diatoms: Microscopic
Windows to the Past

Tiffany Webb

33

Live Octopus & Intelligence

Tiffany Webb

65
Native Plant Propagation
MES Student Thesis“Endangered Oregon
Spotted Frog Habitat
Characteristics” and MES
Director Presentation“Epochs”

Total

23

Tiffany Webb

Tiffany Webb

22
419

WCCW

Since the lecture series became a consistent offering in 2009, we have recorded 4,000 inmate-attendees
at the two main facilities, 3,062 at SCCC and 1,886 at WCCW. Counting individual students who haveattended the lecture (removing repeat attendance), we have recorded 1,749 inmate-students, 969 from

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

26

SCCC and 780 from WCCW. Adding known inmate-students from other facilities and years, we estimate
at least ~2000 inmate-students have attended the lecture series.
As reflected in participant surveys and anecdotal shares, inmate-students respond very positively to thelecture series. Workshops and lectures with an interactive component appear to generate the highest
levels of student engagement. Students also frequently request lectures that cover job opportunities
and offer resources; Lecture Series Program Coordinator, Tiffany Webb, prioritized lectures from experts
willing to bring green jobs information from their respective field.
The lecture series continued to offer three levels of certification recognizing attendance of 5 lectures, 10lectures, and 20 or more. Level 3 certificates were updated to recommend consideration as transfer
credit for admitted students at The Evergreen State College, a potential academic benefit to the many
incarcerated students without other access to higher education credits. Certificate recipients showedvery strong, positive emotional response to the updated certificates, suggesting social-emotional
benefits as well. Since certificates have started to recommend credit, interest in the lecture series has
increased at both facilities. Next year, we plan to also offer certification to DOC staff members that
attend lectures. Lecture series certificates awarded are detailed in Table 16.
Table 16. Summary of Students Eligible for Lecture Series Certification
Facility

Certificate

SCCC

Level 1 – 5 or more lectures
Level 2 – 10 or more lectures
Level 3 – 20 of more lectures#
Awarded
25
14
2

WCCW

Level 1 – 5 or more lectures

52

Level 2 – 10 or more lectures
Level 3 – 20 of more lectures

3
1

Total

64

Lecture Series Evaluation
In FY15, we analyzed results from 2009-2014 student surveys. A summary of results can be found in
Evaluations; to see the full report, please contact Joslyn Rose Trivett, SPP Network Manager.

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).
WDOC began offering the program in July 2013, and interest and availability of the program has grownsteadily since. Staff and offender responses to the program content have been very positive. Inmateinstructors have successfully delivered the full curriculum (10 modules, minimum of 50 hours) withminimal staff supervision. Thus far, a total of 406 inmate-students have received certification for all ten
modules of the curriculum. Eighteen 18 CI inmate-students have been certified for the condensed
curriculum.
Since the last reporting period, 173 inmate students have graduated. Washington Corrections Center
graduated 9 inmate students from the abbreviated version of the curriculum, Expanded Fundamentals.
See Table 17 for summary details.
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report27

Table 17. Summary of Roots of Success Graduates FY15
Facility

Graduation date

SCCC

23

10/31/14

22

1/30/1520

4/24/1412

7/22/1413

10/28/14

10

12/5/1413

1/30/1513

3/12/15

14

WSP total

Robert Branscum (staff), John Oyen,
Anthony Williams, Joseph McClain,
Michael Oakes, Dwayne Sanders, Mike
Hoover, Keith Parkins, & Anthony Powers

75

CBCC

2/27/15CBCC total

10
10

12/12/15

9

3/24/15

5AHCC Total

WCC-CI Total
Total for all
facilities

Robert Aleksinski (staff), David Duhaime,
Cyril Delanto Walrond, & Grady Allan
Mitchell

65

WSP

WCC-CI

Instructors

7/22/14SCCC total

AHCC

Graduates

Carlos Bernardez, Douglas Gallagher,
Dylon Peterson, Felix Sitthivong, Tronie
Young
Michael Stroman, Alan Gard, Austin
TuckerAlan Gard and Austin Tucker

14
3/5/15

9John Fitzpatrick and Philip Hicks

9173

Note: all Roots graduates receive a graduation certificate from Roots of Success.

The status of the Roots of Success program is summarized for each facility. Summary for the full
curriculum is fully updated; summary for the condensed curriculum is not complete.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report28

Table 18. Summary of Roots Status by Institution
Roots of Success Overview by Institution
Institution

StatusFull curriculum - SPP led# Offender
Instructors# Staff
Instructors# Graduatessince start

Liaison

Notes

AHCC

3rd cohort in session

3

1

14

Sgt. Robert Mackey

Considering teaching in Minium Security Unit

CBCC

3rd and 4th cohorts in session

7

3

20

Mark Black

Two new inmate instructors and two new staff instructors

CCCC

Discontinued

1

1

10

CRCC

5th cohort in session

6

4

72

Sandy Leisinger

One instructor was promoted to Master Trainer, one staff member and two inmates
are now instructors

LCC

Preparing to start 1st cohort

4

1

0

Sean Piliponis

Four inmates and one staff member have been trained as instructors

MCC

Preparing to start in summer

5

1

0

Scott Leaf

Secured classroom, need computer

Preparing 1st cohort

1

1

0

Dagoberto Cabrera

Four inmates have been trained as instructors, preparing to start 1st cohort

MCCCW
OCC

Preparing to start in summer

3

1

0

Greg Banner

Four inmates and one staff member have been trained as instructors

SCCC

8th and 9th cohort in session

4

1

123

Robert Aleksinski

Three instructors were promoted to Master Trainers

WCC

Full Curriculum planning meeting in July

6

1

0

Jean Anderson

Supporting Exanded Fundamentals Pilot Course, will begin Full Curriculum next

WCCW

Preparing 1st cohort

5

1

0

Paula Andrew

Five inmates and one staff member have been trained as instructors

WSP

13th Cohort in session

Robert Branscum

One instructor was promoted to Master Trainer

Total

6

2

167

51

18

406

# Offender
Instructors# Staff
Instructors# Graduates

Condensed curriculum - CI led
Institution

Status

Liaison

AHCC- CI

Preparing to start*

01Mark Roney

CBCC-CI

Preparing to start*

01

Anthony Pickard

CI- HQ

Preparing to start*

1

4

Lucienne Banning

CRCC-CI

Preparing to start*

0

1

Tara Proctor

MCC-CI

Preparing to start*

0

1

Cheri Miller

SCCC-CI

Preparing to start*

0

1

WCC-CI

2nd cohort in session

0

1

WCCW- CI

Preparing to start*

0

1

WSP-CI

Preparing to start*

2

1

3

11

Total

Notes
*Waiting for updated curriculum materials to be distributed.

Hector Ortiz
9

Kathryn Shea

Pilot course graduated, feedback generated curriculum overhaul

Kathryn Shea
Calvin Thorpe

9

All students complete a Roots of Success-created survey at the conclusion of the class; highlights sharedby the organization:
Survey Results from Roots of Success Students
95.71% - Would recommend to others
71.81% - Improved their academic skills
83.01% - Feel more comfortable working in teams
96.53% - Know more about green jobs and career pathways
86.49% - Feel more prepared for a job interview with an employer
Figure 4. Sample Survey Results
Inmate-instructors also complete surveys, and their responses are even more positive. One hundred
percent of instructors said they enjoyed teaching the program, would recommend it to others, and thatthey saw participants become familiar with green jobs and career pathways. Descriptions of the
program’s value included:

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

29

“Students gained the sense of personal ownership that they can affect life and society and that they arestill connected to the world beyond their facility.”“Roots of Success has been an intricate part of changing the culture of prison and improving the lives of
those who participate.”“Brought many guys of different religions, races, and values together and made it comfortable to work
towards change in our lives and communities.”

Future Roots of Success instructors listen to Master Trainer
and course creator Dr. Pinderhughes; Roots' Aliesha Baldé
documents the training. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.

In FY15, 25 offenders and 6 staff members werecertified as Roots of Success instructors. Six
existing instructors were promoted to Master
Trainers, a certification that allows them tocertify other Instructors. See Table 19 for moredetails. At the close of the reporting period,plans were in motion to provide Roots at 11 of
the 12 prisons in WA. Updated plans for theabbreviated version of the curriculum, Expanded Fundamentals, were unknown.
Table 19. Summary of Roots of Success Instructor Trainings
Roots Instructors Certified
Staff

6

Inmates25

Master Trainers

6

Total

31

Roots Instructors Certified by Facility
Clallam Bay

4

Coyote Ridge

4

Larch

5

Mission Creek

4

Olympic

5

Stafford Creek

3

WCC

5

WCC-W

6

WSP

1

Total

31

Note: all Roots instructors were certified by Roots of Success.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report30

The primary challenge to the Roots of Success program was the per student cost incurred by hostfacilities. SPP staff explored options for reducing that cost, and those efforts continue in FY 16.
In the future, we intend Roots to be the first stop on SPP’s “Green Track”, an innovative job readinessand environmental education initiative for offenders conceived and coined by WA DOC leadership.
Green track will provide progressive opportunities in education and practice, and a way to engage
inmates in solving environmental issues in the prison and home communities, locally and globally. Once
more programs in the Green Track are established, Roots of Success will serve as the prerequisite formore advanced SPP programming.

8. Evaluation
In FY15, we made substantial progress in evaluating SPP programming, and in pursuing formal researchof impacts.

Conservation Technician Data Request
In April and May, 2015, we worked on a data request with DOC research staff to describe inmatetechnicians in our conservation programs (conservation nurseries, and endangered species rearing andcare programs). We found that technicians in the four conservation programs are lessracially/ethnically diverse than DOC’s averages for incarcerated adults statewide. They are much more
likely to have a Low risk assessment than the statewide norm, but more than half of the technicians aredesignated High Violent or High Non-Violent.
Considering recidivism, we had complete data (start and end dates) for 27 technicians in three of thefour programs, all who have released in the last 3 years: 2012=2; 2013=7; 2014=13; 2015=5. None havereturned to prison on a new felony. It is far too early to refer to this as a rate of recidivism; a sample of
30 is the low threshold of gaining confidence in results. Thus, for conservation technicians, we have atleast three more years to wait before we will have early results on recidivism.
From the Infraction/Grievance data and larger sample size (n=62), we saw a decrease during and post
program. However, only General (low level) Infractions decreased: from 4.22 pre to 2.11 and 2.00
during/post. All technicians had very low counts of Serious and Violent Infractions prior to the program
so it was not possible to draw conclusions about reducing those infraction types (i.e. violence in prison).
Considering Grievance data, the reduction may indicate increased well-being or satisfaction with the inprison environment. However, since we support and encourage use of Grievances whenever they serve
as a pro-social means of communicating concerns, this is a limited indicator. In general, we can say thatearly data indicates that the program may have a positive effect on offender behavior and well-being.

Conservation Technician Surveys
Beginning in October, 2014, program evaluation surveys were administered to inmate technicians from
CCCC, MCCCW, WCCW, and SCCC. We received 21 participant surveys and 17 new hire surveys in FY15, a
promising rate of return given that there were ~27 total in these positions during the year. The survey
program continues, and we expect to have sufficient respondents to warrant analysis in FY16.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report31Science and Sustainability Lecture Series
Evaluating Environmental Knowledge
All students of the SPP Lecture Series from 2009-2014 were asked a series of true and false questions
before and after attending a lecture. Answers were compared for individuals to see if students were
gaining information from attending the program. Results found that incarcerated students are coming tolectures with a relatively high level of environmental knowledge, but are leaving having gained
additional knowledge on lecture topics (23% increase in correctly answered questions at WCCW; 18%
for SCCC). Lecture topics are different each month, therefore students acquire broad and diverse
environmental content knowledge.
Evaluating Environmental Attitudes
From 2011-2014, students of the lecture series were asked before and after a lecture to rate theirlikelihood of seeking and discussing environmental information. Results showed that most students
report a fairly high level of environmental interest before the lecture even begins, and most of them do
not shift in that attitude. For inmates who do report a shift after attending the lecture, it is far more
likely to be a pro-environmental shift. Pro-environmental shifts are strongest in relation to the lecture
topic itself, rather than environmental issues in general. More broadly, from 2011 to 2014 attitudes
steadily shifted towards the pro-environmental end of the scale; this potentially points to the
cumulative impact of the lecture series and sustainability programs WCCW and SCCC offer throughout
their facilities.

Figure 5. Average Likert scores for WCCW and SCCC pre-and post-lecture for 2011-2014.

Lecturer Surveys
We began surveying guest lecturers of the Science and Sustainability Lecture Series in October, 2014,and have been disappointed by a very low rate of return for surveys given to lecturers beginning in
October, 2014. Following the close of the fiscal year, the program coordinator translated the surveys toonline forms, and we except that this option will largely solve this problem.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report32

Pepperdine University School of Public Policy
Dr. Angela Hawken is professor of economics and policy analysis at the School of Public Policy at
Pepperdine University, and she expressed interest in researching impacts on inmates working in ourbutterfly project. She offered support for practitioner-led trials, including IRB and consulting, at no cost
to SPP. She proposed working with measures already collected, such as rates of infractions. To pursue
her offer, SPP would identify program sites that could support a randomized controlled trial. Dr. Hawken
suggested that short-term waiting lists may be the best way to create a control group.

Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP)
Evergreen’s President, Les Purce, encouraged a phone meeting between SPP Managers and SeniorResearch Associate Beth Drake. Ms. Drake advised that viable evaluation of program impacts hinges onfinding a good comparison group, and that SPP faces multiple challenges when it comes to selection
bias. To achieve evidence-based status, we would ideally pursue random assignment. Less desirable but
perhaps still acceptable, we could establish a good comparison group for a quasi-experimental design.
The latter approach is included in the Human/non-human connection research described below.

Human/Non-human Connection Research
During the winter months of 2014-15, SPP forged a promising new partnership with the Institute for
Human-Animal Connection in the graduate school for social work at the Denver University (DU). During
FY15, we submitted a collaborative proposal for a Research and Practitioner Grant to the National
Institute of Justice (NIJ). We also began drafting a proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) tostudy Coupled Human/Natural Systems. Both proposals include assessment of social/emotional impacts
to inmate technicians from working with non-human life (plants in the conservation nurseries, frog,
turtles, and butterflies in endangered species rearing and care programs). The NIJ proposal also
comprises pilot research of social/emotional impacts for staff involved in those programs. The NSF
proposal adds research on the effects of those programs on ecosystem services and biodiversity.

9. SPP Network
SPP-WAOne of the most gratifying events of FY15 was the Statewide Summit, hosted by Evergreen April 23 and24, 2014. More than one hundred attendees participated in two high-energy days of presentations,discussions, and panels. It was the first gathering of sustainability-involved staff from every prison in thestate. They were joined by representatives from DOC Headquarters, Evergreen, other state agencies,
University of Washington, conservation and natural resources non-profits, community and faith-basedorganizations, and SPP-Oregon. The agenda covered statewide issues, such as policy, action planning,
and international expansion, and dove deep into each program area: conservation, education,
sustainable operations, and community contributions.

SPP Network-International
In FY15, SPP-WA continued to act as the primary point of contact for the SPP Network. SPP-WA
continues to be recognized by other countries, states, and counties for leadership in prison-basedsustainability and science programming. The distinction between SPP-WA and SPP Network activities
has blurred, as activities that benefit one consistently benefit the other, and thus we have been able toprovide support to the Network by leveraging statewide efforts. However, development specific to the
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report33

Network has been limited, and new sources of support are needed for new Network-specific initiatives.
Work focused on the SPP Network has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Herb
Alpert Foundation. Both of these funds are now expired, and the search for new sources of support for
Network activities continues.
In FY15, all SPP Network teams continued their involvement and interest, with the exception of
California state; thus, the Network comprises: OR, MD, UT, OH, and WA states; Multnomah, Los
Angeles, and Santa Clara Counties. These 8 teams were primary collaborators at the national level.
We continued to field inquiries from potential new Network participants from multiple states andcountries, from corrections staff, community members, students, faculty, and scientists. International
contacts in FY15 included the United Kingdom, Chile, Belgium, Nigeria, Korea, and Japan. More extended
and developed initiatives are outlined below.
HostingNetwork visitors Warden Buchanan of SPP-Ohio, and Director of Reentry Hinton and Dr. Chris
Swan of SPP-MD visited western Washington in September, 2014; toured 3 facilities and saw
conservation nurseries, prairie restoration site, Roots of Success, dog program, sustainable
operations suite, program area of IMU, vermiculture and vermicomposting, and bike andwheelchair repair
Partners from University of Denver Institute for Human-animal connection visited in March,
2015; tours at MCCCW and WCCW focused on conservation programs; meetings at DOC
Headquarters included Research staff and multiple SPP representatives
Hosted Atsuko Otsuka; tours of dog, turtle, and frog programs at CCCC and conservation
nursery, dog and gardening programs at WCCW. Also met with SPP Co-Director, Steve Sinclair
regarding program replication in Japan.
Beth Waitkus, Director and William Hodgman, President of the Board from Insight Garden
Program toured of all sustainability programs at CCCC and SCCC April 24, 2015; they submitted a
proposal for Insight Garden Program expansion to SPP-WA facilities in July, 2015
As a part of an event called Congress to Campus, SPP staff at Evergreen met with former
members of the U.S. House of Representatives—David Skaggs (D-CO, 1987-1999) and Peter
Smith (R-VT, 1989-1991)

Accomplishments, Products, and Publications






Worked with web designer to re-create online website dedicated to the SPP Network(http://network.sustainabilityinprisons.org), and including private, professional networking
forums; work nearly complete at the close of the fiscal year
Published paper co-authored by SPP-WA and SPP-OR in the Natural Areas Journal (see Formal
Publications, p. 38)
Partnered with SPP-Oregon partners from Institute of Applied Ecology to develop and initiate aconservation nursery at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center growing native sagebrush for habitat
restoration on central Washington BLM property
Completed final check in with all active Network teams, October, 2014 and disseminatedsummary report
Developed and finalized Sustainable Practices Policy governing all four SPP program areas for
WDOC statewide; shared policy with Network partners to aid their policy development

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

34

Presentations and Events

Presented on SPP educational programs at Higher Education in Prison symposium inChampagne, Illinois, October 9-11, 2014
Participated in Criminal Justice Professionals and the Public Research Exchange at the invitationof the Kettering Foundation, Dayton, OH, May 21-22, 2015

10. Dissemination
Presentations and EventsIn FY15, SPP staff presented at a variety of venues to highlight specific programs or represent SPP as awhole. In addition, we attended numerous events at which we made informal or brief presentation
representing the organization; examples include tabling at Prairie Appreciation Day, Green Day at WDOC
Headquarters, and two Roots of Success graduation celebrations. A summary of presentations is given in
Table 20.
Table 20. SPP Presentations FY15
Date
8/5/14

8/7/14

8/14/148/14/14

10/9

10/10/14

Presenter
Carl Elliott,
Joslyn Trivett,
Bri
Morningred

Title

Venue

Focus areas

Participants

Bring Your Kid to Work Day, WCCW

Gardens, conservation
nursery, Prison Pet
Partnership

Tiffany Webb

Environmental education inprison: A comparison ofteaching methods and theirinfluence on inmate
attitudes and knowledge ofenvironmental topics

Just Sustainability, Hope for the
Commons Conference, Seattle, WA

Science Education in
Prisons

Jaal Mann

Prairie fire as a selective
agent: Second-generation
responses and plantcommunity shifts

Ecological Society of America (ESA),
Sacramento, CA

Conservation andScience Programs

Carri LeRoy

Linking Restoration andIncarceration: The
Sustainability in Prisons
Project

ESA

Conservation andScience ProgramsCarl Elliott

Creating Bridges toKnowledge: Training
incarcerated men andwomen in ecologicalrestoration2014 Joint Regional Conference;
Society for Ecological Restoration;
Northwest and Great Basin
Chapters

Education Contributed
Session - Training andeducation lessons
learned from the SPP
conservation nursery

Joslyn Trivett

Environmental Education in
Prisons: Exploitation or
Empowerment?

Higher Education in PrisonsSymposium, hosted by Education
Justice Project in Champaign, IL

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual ReportSocial Justice &Education35

10/27/14

10/28/14

11/21/14

11/25/14

Lindsey
Hamilton andTiffany WebbSPP Essential Components

Tiffany Webb
and Lindsey
Hamilton
Tiffany Webb
and Christina
Stalnaker
Joslyn Trivett
and Christina
Stalnaker

AASHE Conference 2014 Poster
SessionEssential components
of SPP Programming

Student Perspectives:
Connecting Higher Educationand Sustainable Practices in
Prisons

AASHE Conference 2014 Poster
SessionCommunity connection,
environmental/social
justice/improving
inmate experience,learning outside of theclassroom

Participants

Roots of Success Graduation at
SCCC

SPP Virtual Tour

Roots of Success Graduation at
CRCC

WA Programs

The Sustainability in Prisons
Project in Washington State

Associate Superintendents of
WDOC

WA Programs

12/4/14

Joslyn Trivett

1/13/15

Tiffany Webb,
Bri
Morningred,
Sadie Gilliom,
Lindsey
Hamilton

SPP Virtual Tour

Science and Sustainability Lecture
Series , WCCW

1/31/15

Joslyn Trivett& Eric Heinitz

SPP Overview & Project
Planning

Sustainable Decision Making,Evergreen MPA program

2/19/15

Joslyn Trivett

SPP In-prison OutreachSuperintendent’s Meeting

SPP outreach materials
for staff and offenders

4/14/15

Dan Pacholke

Sustainability in Prisons
Project: Sustainable
Operations

Biocycle Conference Portland, OR

SPP Overview andSustainable Operations

4/22/15

Carri LeRoyand SteveSinclair

SPP Statewide Overview

SPP Summit Conference

SPP Overview

4/22/15

Steve Sinclair

SPP Branding

SPP Summit Conference

4/23/15

Kelli Bush

Partnerships

SPP Summit Conference

WDOC Sustainable Practice
PolicySPP Summit Conference

Action Planning

SPP Summit Conference

Action planning
process; case study at
CRCC

Statewide Planning andDreaming

SPP Summit Conference

SPP Future

Cedar Creek Corrections Center

SPP Overview andCareers in Arboriculture

MES Thesis Presentation, Evergreen

Thesis Research on OSF
rearing

4/22/15

4/23/15

4/23/15

Steve Sinclair
and Julie
Vanneste
Joslyn Trivettand Dorothy
Trainer
Steve Sinclair
and Carri
LeRoy

5/7/15

Kelli Bush

5/19/15Bri
Morningred

SPP Overview and Careers inArboriculture
Water Quality Analysis ofThree Different Rearing
Environments for Rana
pretiosa

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

SPP’s model,
programming,
opportunities; plus,
program specifics fromthe butterfly, turtle,
frog, and plant
conservation programs.
WA Programs andplanning for future
projects in WDOCSPP umbrella; benefitsof SPP association
SPP built on
partnerships; how tofind and be a partner
New statewide policy
overview; Q&A

36

6/11/15

Kelli BushThe Sustainability in Prisons
Project: Shifting Public
Perceptions of Incarceration
through Science andSustainability Initiatives

Conference on Communication andthe Environment Boulder, COWA programs andchanging perceptions ofprisons

SPP Tours
SPP staff from Evergreen, WDOC, and at each facility regularly host visitors who want to see SPP
programs. A summary of tours in FY15 is given in Table 21.
Table 21. SPP Tours FY15
Date

Location

Visitors

Program areas

Sept 11, 2014

CCCC

President’s office,Evergreen

All sustainability
programs

Sept 18, 2014

MCC

Warden Buchanan,
Ohio
Director of Reentry
Hinton, MD

Vermicompostingand vermiculture
program; IMU

Sept 18, 2014

CCCC and
Shotwell’sand prairie

Chris Swan, U of MD
Baltimore County

Sept 19, 2014

SCCC

March 6, 2015

CCCC

March 11, 2015

CCCC

March 12, 2015

Warden Buchanan,
Ohio
Director of Reentry
Hinton, MD
Graham Golbluff, UW
graduate student in
Landscape Architecture
Matt Strickland, Ken
Scrivner, Scott Morgan,
Jacquie Armstrong,
Kevin Bowen
Pierce College, Doug
Cole, and “Mack”

All sustainability
programs

CCCC

March 19, 2015

Focus areas
Building
partnership with
Evergreen
Peer to Peer
mentoring: worm
programs and IMU
classroom
Conservation
nursery protocols
and working withinmate crews
Peer to Peer
mentoring:particularly Rootsof Success anddog programs

Hosts
Kelli Bush
Joslyn Trivett, Kelli
Bush, Fiona
Edwards

Carl Elliott
Pat Glebe, Joslyn
Trivett, Kelli Bush

Turtle Program

Alternative energy
for Turtle Shed

Sadie Gilliom

Turtle Program

Internship
Opportunities

Sadie Gilliom

Daniel Cherniske andRhianna Hruska

Aquaponics andTurtlesAquaponics

CCCC

Sarah Bexell and Kevin
Morris

Turtle Program

March 20. 2015

MCCCW

Sarah Bexell and Kevin
MorrisTaylor’s checkerspot
butterfly program

March 20. 2015

WCCW

Sarah Bexell and Kevin
MorrisConservation nursery

April 9, 2015

CCCC

CISM Team & Jordan,
DOC

Sustainability
Programs

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

Study on humanand animal
connection
Study on humanand animal
connection
Study on humanand animal
connection

Sadie Gilliom, Julie
Vanneste and Kelli
Bush
Sadie Gilliom, Kelli
Bush, and Julie
Vanneste
Kelli Bush, Joslyn
Trivett, Jody
Becker-Green
Kelli Bush, Joslyn
Trivett, Jody
Becker-Green
Sadie Gilliom

37

April 15, 2015

MCC

April 30, 2015

CCCC

May 8, 2015

CCCC

May 18, 2015

CCCC

April 24, 2015

CCCC

April 24, 2015

SCCC

June 5, 2015

CCCC

June 23, 2015

CCCC

Seattle Tilth: Rebecca
Fong, Justin Maltry, andChris Hoffer
Gina Sibley, Pierce
College Students, Mr.
and Mrs. Turull
Atsuko Otsuka, Supt,
Cole, and Gina Sibley
DOC: CORE
Beth Waitkus andWilliam Hodgman,Insight Garden Program
Beth Waitkus andWilliam Hodgman,Insight Garden Program
Mr. Hines, Mr.
Hettinger, and Ms.
SibleyNorthwest Trek: 2 Trek
interns, Dr. Allison, and
Ms. Sibley

Vermicompostingand vermiculture
program

Worm Program

Sadie Gilliom,
Joslyn Trivett,Andrew Garber,Michele Williams

Turtle Program

Facility tour forInternship
Opportunities

Sadie Gilliom

Sustainability
programs
Training

Kelli Bush
Training

Sustainability
programs

Sadie Gilliom
Kelli Bush

Sustainability
programs

Gardens

Joslyn Trivett

Turtle Program

Turtle Program for
Larch

Sadie Gilliom

Frog Program

Frog Program

Sadie Gilliom

SPP Products, Publications, and Internships
Self-PublishedIn FY15, we updated SPP’s primary outreach materials: our one-page overviews. With this printing, we
expanded our one-pager topics to represent all four program areas:
1. SPP Overview
2. SPP Essential Components/SPP Network
3. SPP Conservation Programs
4. SPP Education Programs
5. SPP Sustainable Operations Programs
6. SPP Community Contributions Programs
For the first time, we created and disseminated one-pagers listing SPP programs active at each facility.
These have helped to raise awareness and interest for staff and inmates.
We published Summer 2014 and Winter 2015 Newsletters on schedule, and distributed widely via
myemma, email, website, and print.
Formal Publications
SPP publications for FY15 are summarized below; items that were in review during the last fiscal year
and published since are included.
 Kaye, T.N., K.B. Bush, C. Naugle, and C.J. LeRoy. Conservation projects in prison: The case forengaging incarcerated populations in conservation and science. Natural Areas Journal. Volume
35 (1).
 Weber, S., M. Hayes, T. Webb, and C.J. LeRoy. Environmental education in prison: A comparisonof teaching methods and their influence on inmate attitudes and knowledge of environmental
topics. Interdisciplinary Environmental Review. Summer 2015.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

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Trivett, J.R., K. Bush, J. Vanneste, D.J. Pacholke, and C.J. LeRoy. Sustainability in Prisons Project,
United States. In: Innovative Justice. University of Tasmania. (ISBN-13: 978-0415643504).
Aubrey, D., M. Linders, C. Landa, L. Mullen, and C.J. LeRoy. Oviposition preference ofendangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies (Euphydryas editha taylori) among both native andnon-native larval hosts. Northwest Science ( Still in review).
Bush KMB, Vanneste J, Pacholke D, Trivett JR, Sinclair S, Heinitz E. 2015. Department ofCorrections Walks the Walk on Sustainability. Biocycle 56(8):65-68

Internships
In FY15, SPP staff supervised three academic internships that also benefitted SPP programs:
 Summer quarter 2014 – Field supervision of under-graduate internship on establishing bestpractices and certification for beekeeping at Cedar Creek Corrections Center.
 Spring quarter 2015 – Field supervision for Evergreen MES internship, environmental and social
justice focus areas
 Spring quarter 2015 – Field supervision for Evergreen undergraduate internship with media andeducation focus areas Winter and Spring 2015- Field supervision for Evergreen undergraduate internships withaquaponics focus areas
Students
Formally and informally, we continue to support and work with numerous additional students,
graduates and undergraduates, from Evergreen, many other academic institutions, and internationally.
Examples from the past year include:
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We worked extensively with Graham Golbuff, a Master of Landscape Architecture from
University of Washington, to develop a landscaping guide to aid WA DOC inmates indevelopment and proposal of in-prison projects.
We provided interviews and answered questions for students studying SPP including from a
student in Korea entering an SPP storyboard into a contest
We hosted Hannah Rogers, graduate student at University of Central Missouri, studying
behavioral implications of inmate participation in a cognitive-behavioral focusedenvironmentally sustainable waste management program guided by participatory learning
within a medium-security correctional institution in Missouri
We supplied detailed program information to George Mason University graduate students doinga project on SPPIn FY16, we have begun systematic tracking for student contacts, so that we may better quantify anddescribe these efforts, and request a copy of resulting student products.

Media Coverage
In FY15, SPP-WA was featured in more than 20 stories from local, regional, and international media
outlets. The table below includes all of the pieces staff tracked during FY15. Links for each of the pieces
are available on SPP’s website at http://sustainabilityinprisons.org/

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report39

Table 22. SPP Media FY15
DatePaper/Source

AuthorTitle

7/1/2014

National Correctional
Industries Association:
Green Edition

Joslyn Rose Trivett

Correctional Industries' Dedication to
Roots of Success

7/2/2014

Multnomah County
website7/23/2014

Mother Nature Network

8/1/2014

The White House Rural
Council

9/9/2014

Everett Herald

Amy Nile

Monroe prison’s worm composting
program a national model

9/10/2014

The Argus Observer

Zachary Chastaine

Inmates earn certificates for efforts

10/1/2014

Correctional News

10/3/2014

The Salt Lake Tribune

Mike Gorrell

Utah inmates to get unique chance atpublic service

11/20/2014

TIME

TIME Staff

The 25 Best Innovations of 2014: The
Prison Room that Helps Inmates Relax

11/25/2014

NW News Network

Tom Banse

Prison Inmates Enlisted to Grow
Threatened Plants

11/30/2014

Union-Bulletin.com

Andy Porter

Prison Program Helps inmates practicesustainability

12/10/2014

The Salt Lake Tribune

Annie Knox

Inmates as conservationists? It could
happen, University of Utah professor
says

12/12/2014

NPR - Northwest News
Network

Tom Banse

Prison Inmates Enlisted To Rear
Threatened Plants And Animals

12/12/2014

Voices of America

Tom Banse

Prison Inmates Enlisted To Rear
Threatened Plants And Animals

1/18/2015

The Columbian

Tom Vogt

On the Wings of a Monarch

3/12/2015

National Science
Foundation

Lily Whiteman

Canopy researcher goes out on a (tree)limb to promote public understanding of
science

3/12/2015

Take Part

Nancy Averett

Prisoners Find Purpose Behind Bars:
Saving Salamanders, Butterflies, and
Frogs

Office of Sustainability and Sheriff's
Office Collaborate on Regional
Sustainability in Prisons Conference
Sidney Stevens

A (greener) life behind bars
Sentinel Landscapes: Where
Conservation, Working Lands, andNational Defense Interests Converge

Vermont Prison Becomes a Sustainability
LeaderSustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report40

Sustainability in Prisons Project Summit
Welcomes Statewide Corrections Staff toEvergreen April 22-23

4/14/2015

Evergreen News

5/1/2015

Science

Carri LeRoy

Bringing Science Inside Prison Walls

5/27/2015

The Washington Post

Michael S
Rosenwald

A growing experience: Prison gardens
transform inmates who tend to them

6/25/2015

The Huffington Post

#Whatsworking: Prison Gardening
Programs

Website/Social Media
During the reporting period, we created 31 new blogs authored by SPP staff and Graduate Research
Assistants, and adapted from submissions by WDOC staff and inmate program participants; see
http://sustainabilityinprisons.org/blog-galleries/blog/.
We maintained and updated site pages—more than 90 of them—to represent current programming andpractices (e.g., http://sustainabilityinprisons.org/what-we-do/spp-programs-in-washington-stateprisons/ and http://sustainabilityinprisons.org/about/) and maintained our video(http://sustainabilityinprisons.org/blog-galleries/stories/) and press libraries(http://sustainabilityinprisons.org/press/).
According to google analytics, the site had 47,301 page views during the reporting period, average timespent per page was 1 minute, 58 seconds, and an average of 2.06 pages per visit. More than 75% of thevisitors were new versus returning visitors. The huge majority of users were from the United States,
followed by Brazil, Canada, the UK, and Australia. The seven most popular pages were:
1. / (homepage): 20% of pageviews
2. /what-we-do/spp-programs-in-washington-state-prisons: 4%
3. /what-we-do/: 4%
4. /blog/2015/04/30/beds-for-violets-at-washington-corrections-center-building-spps-newestconservation-nursery//about/: 3%
5. /about/: 3%
6. /resources/: 3%
7. /about/Washington-department-of-corrections-wdoc/: 2%
Since the homepage is by far the most popular page of the website, we simplified its layout, and added asign up form for SPP’s newsletter; the sign up form has steadily brought in an average of new contacts
each week.
SPP’s main outlet for social media continues to be Facebook (www.facebook.com/sustainableprisons).
During the reporting year, we posted ~150 items on a wide variety of topics, and our Likes increased
from 861 to 1,108. The posts that attracted the most attention were:
1. March 19, 2015 hand-written testimonials from Ridge Dogs Program – 1.7K
2. November 13, 2014 beekeeping certification with Olympia Beekeepers Assn at CCCC – 1.4 K
3. May 4, 2015 panoramic photo of dog mural at CCCC – 1.3 K
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

41

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

May 11, 2015 blog on new turtle and frog technicians at CCCC – 1 K
February 3, 2015 photos of opossum at West Sound Wildlife Shelter lecture at WCCW – 1K
December 29, 2015 Daily World story on bike program at SCCC – 1 K
December 11, 2014 photos from Roots of Success graduation at CRCC – 952
June 11, 2015 Washington Post story on prison gardens, MD, CA, and WA; re-post from Insight
Garden Program’s page – 911
9. August 19, 2014 blog on WCCW one of first prisons to be Certified Wildlife Habitat site – 865
From both measures of popularity, and consistent with our outreach efforts, it appears that public
interest in SPP has extended from our conservation programs to more broadly embrace all program
areas.

AwardsSPP was invited to apply for the Innovative Government Award to Harvard Kennedy School, and was a
Semi-finalist for that award.

Inmates working in the kitchen at SCCC divert food waste from the landfill, sending it to the composting facility instead. Photoby Ricky Johnson.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report42Appendix 1. SPP Programs in Washington State Prisons FY15
Major program areas and highlights indicated; program partners indicated where that information isavailable. Several additional programs were in development during the reporting period, and most of
those are not indicated here.

Airway Height Corrections Center
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Roots of Success, environmental literacy course
Gardens: 60-70 inmate gardeners, 34,000 lbs. grown for the kitchen in 2013
Pawsitive dog training – prison program: dog training and adoption, partnering with Diamondsin the Ruff and SpokAnimal
Waste sorting and recycling
Workshops
Master Gardening classes
Food waste composting (shipped offsite to commercial composter); developing a barkcomposting program
Firewood donation program – partnering with SNAP Spokane; cut and delivered 303 cords ofwood to low income and senior citizens last cold season (2012-2013); on track to donate 800
cords this cold season
LEED Silver certification for two buildings
Nature imagery in maximum security mental health area
Computer refurbishing: fixing up donated computers and giving to schools

Cedar Creek Corrections Center
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Beekeeping: bee colony collapse research, honey collection, manufacturing lotion and lip balms
from beeswax; beekeeping certification class for staff and inmates
Large-scale, in-vessel composting; inmate’s story on composting
Vermicomposting
Endangered species conservation programs: Oregon spotted frog rearing and Western pond
turtle rehabilitation, partnerships with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Joint Base
Lewis-McChord, Oregon Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo, Northwest Trek, Point Defiance Zoo andAquarium, and PAWS
Prairie restoration crew, partnership with Center for Natural Lands Management, Joint Base
Lewis-McChord, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Zoo, Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental
Stewardship, Whidbey-Camano Land Trust, Friends of Puget Prairies, Wolf Haven International,
and City of Steilacoom
Gardens
Horticulture program with vocational college credits, partnership with Centralia College
Pet program: dog training for veterans, dog training and adoption, partnership with Brigadoon
Service Dogs
Waste sorting and recycling
Tilapia and aquaponics
Water reduction and catchment

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LEED certified Perimeter Control Office, new construction
Workshops
Woodshop projects with reclaimed wood, partnership with DNR Urban & Community Forestry
ProgramClallam Bay Corrections Center
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Gardens: growing for the prison kitchen
Dog training and adoption, partnership with Welfare for Animals Guild (WAG!)
Composting: developing in-vessel system on site
Waste sorting and recycling
Roots of Success, environmental literacy course
Developing waste water heat recapture program, partnership with the Center for Sustainable
Infrastructure
Green Building and Carpentry, partnership with Peninsula College

Coyote Ridge Corrections Center
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Gardens
Dog training and adoption: Ridge Dogs, partnership with Benton Franklin Humane Society,
Adams County Pet Rescue and Forgotten Dogs Rescue; new kitten program!
Food waste composting (shipped offsite to commercial composter; large-scale in vessel system
in development)
Waste sorting and recycling
LEED Gold certified campus
Craft (teddy bear) donations, made from salvaged materials

Roots of Success, environmental literacy course (full and condensed curricula)Conservation nursery for native sagebrush, partnership with the Bureau of Land Management
the Washington Native Plant Society, Institute for Applied Ecology, and Washington State
University Tri-Cities

Larch Corrections Center
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Gardens
Food bank crop donations, partnership with Clark County Food Bank
Wood Craft donations, from donated and salvaged wood
Larch Cat Adoption Program, partnership with West Columbia Gorge Humane Society and
Humane Society for Southwest Washington
Large-scale, in-vessel composting
Waste sorting and recycling
House plants in living units, in cells and in dorm windows – pilot programFirst Washington State prison to eliminate trash can liners
Waste reduction led by kitchen staff

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report44Endangered species conservation programs: Western pond turtle rehabilitation, partnershipwith Oregon Zoo, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Clark College (still being
developed)

Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women
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Endangered species conservation program: Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly rearing and release,
partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife,
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and the Oregon Zoo
Gardens
Small-scale composting
Waste sorting and recycling
Water use reduction and water catchment
Workshops
Project Feeder Watch: bird identification and data collection
LEED Silver Certified living unit, new construction
Salmon habitat restoration, partnership with Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group

MCC worm composting program was initiate by an inmate, and now attracts attention from many organizations statewide andinternationally. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.

Monroe Correctional Complex
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Vermiculture and vermicomposting, partnership with City of Monroe
Gardens
Greenhouses
Horticulture program with vocational college credits, partnership with Edmonds Community
College
Pet program: dog program in partnership with Summit Assistance Dogs; cat training andadoption in partnership with Purrfect Pals
Composting
Waste sorting and recycling: large-scale with pick-line
Recycling and repurposing wood, donations to Monroe Senior Center
Water use reduction and water catchment
Workshops

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

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Bicycle repair, partnership with Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office
Medical equipment refurbishment
LEED-Certified Buildings: three buildings are rated gold or silver

Olympic Corrections Center
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Gardens
Horticulture program, partnership with Peninsula College
Pet program: dog training and adoption, partnership with Olympic Peninsula Humane Society
Large-scale, in-vessel composting (including waste from Clallam Bay Corrections Center)
Waste sorting and recycling
Green Building and Carpentry, partnership with Peninsula College
Wood recycling and repurposing, partnership with Westport Shipyard and donations benefiting
Quillayute Valley School District
Water use reduction and water catchment
Ponds for every living unit!

Stafford Creek Corrections Center
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Beekeeping
Birdhouses
Large-scale, in-vessel composting
SPP’s first Conservation nursery for rare and endangered prairie plants, partnership with Center
for Natural Lands Management, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington Department of Natural
Resources, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon
Zoo, Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship, Whidbey-Camano Land Trust, Friendsof Puget Prairies, and Wolf Haven International
Gardens
Greenhouses
Pet programs: Freedom Tails, partnership with Harbor Association of Volunteers for Animals(HAVA); and dog training for veterans, partnership with Brigadoon Service Dogs
Waste sorting and recycling: large-scale with pick-line
Tilapia – approximately 60,000 fish in 22 tanks, harvested at regular intervals for in-prison menu,
partnership with Correctional Industries
Water use reduction and water catchment
Bicycle repair, partnership with local Lions Club
Science and Sustainability lecture series
Medical equipment refurbishment, partnership with Joni and Friends: Wheels for the World
Roots of Success, environmental literacy course

Washington Corrections Center

Large-scale, in-vessel composting
Extensive gardens

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

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Food bank crop donations, partnerships with Thurston County Food Bank, The Saint's Pantry
Food Bank, The City Reach Food Bank, and The Shelton Community Kitchen
Waste sorting and recycling
House plants in nearly every common area
Shoe and clothing re-purposing and recycling, partnership with Correctional Industries
Conservation nursery for seed production of rare and endangered prairie plants andhorticultural program, partnership with Centralia College, Center for Natural Lands
Management, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Horticulture program, partnership with Centralia College
Roots of Success, environmental literacy course (condensed curriculum)

Washington Corrections Center for Women
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Conservation nursery for rare and endangered prairie plants, partnership with Center for
Natural Lands Management, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington Department of Natural
Resources, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon
Zoo, Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship, Whidbey-Camano Land Trust, Friendsof Puget Prairies, and Wolf Haven International
Gardens – partnership with WSU Extension, Pierce County
Horticulture program with vocational college credits, partnership with Tacoma Community
College
Pet Program: Prison Pet Partnership
Beekeeping, including certification process, partnership with Mother Earth Farm
Chickens!
Large-scale, in-vessel composting
Waste sorting and recycling
Science and Sustainability lecture series

Washington State Penitentiary
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Rare species conservation program: Pacific Northwest Monarch butterfly captive rearing,
release, and tracking, partnership with Washington State University Department of Entomology
Gardens
Rental garden boxes (for inmates’ personal use)
Bee keeping
Pet Program: dog training and adoption and cat training and adoption (Kittens in the Klink), bothin partnership with the Blue Mountain Humane Society
Waste sorting and recycling: large-scale with pick-line
Hazardous waste reduction by 95%
Sustainable Practices Lab: furniture repair, vermicomposting, bicycle and medical equipment
refurbishment, fabric and wood re-use, cultural crafts, quilt and teddy bear creations, and sign shop
Roots of Success, environmental literacy course
TED talk videos on closed circuit television~131 programs

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report47

Appendix 2. SPP Programs Partners in Washington State Prisons
FY15
See Appendix 1 for specific program involvement. Most program partners for programs indevelopment but not implementing during the year are not included.
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Adams County Pet Rescue
Benton Franklin Humane SocietyBlue Mountain Humane Society
Brigadoon Service Dogs
Bureau of Land Management
Center for Natural Lands Management
Center for Sustainable Infrastructure
Centralia College
City of Monroe
City of Steilacoom
Clark College
Clark County Food Bank
Correctional Industries
Diamonds in the Ruff
DNR Urban & Community Forestry Program
Edmonds Community College
Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center
Forgotten Dogs Rescue
Friends of Puget Prairies
Harbor Association of Volunteers for Animals (HAVA)
Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group
Humane Society for Southwest Washington
Institute for Human-Animal Connection, University of Denver
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joni and Friends: Wheels for the World
US Green Building Council
Lions Clubs
Master Gardeners at AHCC
Monroe Senior Center
Mother Earth Farm
Northwest Trek
Olympia Beekeepers Association
Olympic Peninsula Humane Society
Oregon Zoo
Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship
PAWS
Peninsula College
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
Prison Pet Partnership
Purrfect Pals

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report

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Quillayute Valley School District
Roots of SuccessSecond Harvest Food Bank
SNAP Spokane
Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office
SpokAnimal
Summit Assistance Dogs
Tacoma Community College
The Davenport Hotel
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
University of Utah
Walla Walla area nonprofits
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Washington Department of Natural Resources
Washington Native Plant Society
Washington State University Department of Entomology
Welfare for Animals Guild (WAG!)
West Columbia Gorge Humane Society
Westport Shipyard
Whidbey-Camano Land Trust
Wolf Haven International
Woodland Park Zoo
WSU Extension, Pierce County~63 organizations

Several program partners sat on the Community Contributions Panel at SPP's Statewide Summit. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.

Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report49