Sustainability in Prisons Project
Newsletter

Spring 2013
Issue 3

We bring
science, nature,and sustainable
practices intoprisonsPhoto by Cyril Ruoso

Thank You to WDOC Staff
Andrea Martin, Graduate Research Assistant
SPP is based on partnerships, and every partner is crucial to the success of every program. Here we would like to celebrate ourpartners at the Washington Department of Corrections (WDOC): the staff and officers at each prison who are essential to ourcontinued success. Prison staff include the Superintendents and other administrative staff that keep a prison running smoothly,
and the counselors who work closely with inmates and monitor their progress, growth, and successes. The custody officers
who supervise the prison community every hour of every day also deserve our deepest appreciation.
All of these folks have graciously accepted SPP as part of their jobs, and the results of their willingness and commitment areincredible. We would not be able to do what we do without their continued support and assistance. Thank you WDOC for
your time, efforts, and inspiration! Thank you also to corrections staff across the country who are partnering with new SPP
Network teams!

Another Thank You ~ Brittany Gallagher, Graduate Research AssistantMany WDOC staff have been absolutely essential to the success of this year's SPP-WA statewide evaluations project. The
following is just a partial list of those who have assisted with background information, logistics and follow-up throughout theongoing study. Many thanks to the staff at every participating institution for facilitating the surveys!
Dan Pacholke, Teri Herold‐Prayer, Mike Evans, Julie Vanneste, Karen Duranceau, and Luann Kawata (HQ); Maggie Miller‐Stout andRisa Klemme (Airway Heights Corrections Center); Douglas Cole, Charlie Washburn and Pam Moore (Cedar Creek Corrections Cen‐ter); Robert Herzog and Donna Simpson (Monroe Correctional Complex); Patrick Glebe, Chris Idso, Marcia McCormick, Becky Dom‐browsky, and Jon Rydman (Stafford Creek Corrections Center); Stephen Sinclair and Rob Branscum (Washington State Peniten‐tiary); John Aldana, Tracy Hixson, and Lori Capp (Olympic Corrections Center); Scott Russell and Matt Cossette (Washington Correc‐tions Center); Jane Parnell, Dave Flynn, and Paula Andrew (Washington Corrections Center for Women); Wanda McRae, Anne
Shoemaker, and Jacquie Lewis (Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women).

Inside this Issue
2. Featured partner: Scott Skaggs

4‐5. SPP Network teams

2. New plant conservation program

5. Oregon spotted frog update

3. SPP & The Evergreen State College

6. SPP at TEDx

4. Carri LeRoy & Dan PacholkeSustainability in Prisons Project

Spring 2013, Issue 3

Featured Partner

Scott Skaggs
Construction and Maintenance ProjectSupervisor, Washington Corrections Cen‐ter for Women (WCCW)
Scott Skaggs is one of the SPP-WA’s
newest partners. He manages the conservation nursery at Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW), andhe has quickly proved to be invaluable.
Skaggs has been involved with the newnursery since the first pieces of the hoop
houses went up. He has always had a“green thumb,” and can be quoted assaying he “loves working with treehuggers” even if he’s not one himself.
Skaggs has very high expectations for his
inmate crew. The crew is responsible formaintaining the prison campus landscaping, and the conservation program hasadded a positive focus for the crew: “Itkeeps up the feelings of accomplishment
and production during the dry months,”
he says. He is excited to introduce inmates to this field of work, and not only
because of his own love for it; he holds asteadfast belief in making opportunities
for inmates to give back to their community in a positive way after having beensurrounded by negativity. We are thrilled
to have such an experienced and passionate staff member working with us at
WCCW and we are looking forward to
more planting together as spring rolls on.
~ Bri Morningred
Graduate Research Assistant

2New Prairie Plant Conservation Program at WCCW
Candace Penn, Undergraduate Prairie Plant Production Assistant

The nursery crew at Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW)
has been hard at work these past fourmonths—it has been the key time forseed-sowing. The expanse of sowntrays now inside the hoop houses isquite remarkable considering this project is barely a year old.
The inmate-technicians working in
the new nursery program have grown
just as much as the plants they tend.
Most of the women came into theprogram without any horticulture

background. Now they could not be
more invested in the propagation andcare of the rare and endangered
plants. They are constantly engaged,
asking questions about each species
and the reintroduction plans for theplants. They are starting to understand their part in the larger networkof scientists, nonprofit staff, volunteers, and students that are all working together to make this project asuccess. Conserving endangered species is just another day at the office.

SPP Graduate Research Assistant Bri Morningred and WCCW conservation
nursery crew pose in a WCCW hoophouse. Photos by Bri Morningred and Scott
Skaggs.

Sustainability in Prisons Project

Spring 2013, Issue 3

SPP’s Partnership with Evergreen
Fiona Edwards, Graduate Research Assistant

Photos by Jaal Mann
One of the main draws for my attending Evergreen was SPP. As an undergrad in New York, I had participated with a prison
project that gave inmates the opportunity to earn a college degree. My hope was to continue this work as a graduate research
assistant with SPP while enrolled in the Master of Environmental Studies (MES) program. In January of this year, this hope
was realized and I became the website and multimedia assistant for the Project. I’ve been lucky to gain the experience I
wanted, with an organization that is directly supported by Evergreen faculty and staff.
As a grad student, it is oftentimes easy to feel alienated from the Evergreen community because our classes are held at night
when campus is mostly empty. However, working with SPP allows me to interact with many programs and people on campus
who I would not normally see on a daily basis. With consultation from Academic Computing, I have worked on a SPP Network site that serves Network members from all over the country. I have watched my fellow MES students and SPP research
assistants travel to conferences across the map to present their theses comprised of SPP data, representing the work of Evergreen and SPP simultaneously. I enjoy coming to the SPP offices on the campus each week because it reminds me that I am apart of an interdisciplinary organization where my academic pursuits make a difference. I am excited to continue participatingin the SPP and Evergreen collaboration.

The Sustainability in Prisons Project is a partnership founded by:3

Sustainability in Prisons ProjectDirectors’CornerSpring 2013, Issue 3

part of new SPP programs in OR, CA, OH, MD, andUT – for some updates on these new programs, please
see the story below and continuing on page 5.

Carri LeRoy& Dan Pacholke
SPP Co-Directors
We are excited to bring you this season’s newsletter. It has
been a productive spring and we are pleased to report on
several key achievements. Of special interest to us:
SPP was invited to present a TEDx talk – you can finda report on it on pg. 6;

the second of our NSF-funded conferences was held inSalt Lake City, UT in March and was a major success;andwe are pleased to report outstanding progress on theSeveral of the photos in our newsletter were taken by CyrilRuoso, a French photographer who works with National
Geographic. He was recently granted an exhibit at the Natural History Museum in Paris, France and will begin showing photographs of Oregon Spotted Frogs (Rana pretiosa)reared at Cedar Creek Correctional Center, titled “PlaneteGrenouille” (Planet Frog).
Finally, we would like to thank all of our collaborators andpartners in this effort. The SPP exists as a tenuous web oflinkages among all of us – our efforts and intention make
SPP what it is. We thank you all for your contributions, nomatter how big or small.

SPP Network Teams’ Snapshots
Andrea Martin and members of the SPP Network
Following two NSF-funded conferences, the Sustainability in Prisons Project Network has officially launched! Two-and-a-half days in Salt Lake City gave the new teams an opportunity to share their accomplishments bringing science andnature “inside.” Here is a snapshot of each team’s work:
CALIFORNIA: The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has seen substantial energy savings andwaste reductions since implementing sustainable operations. The state of California is working to add programmingwith the Center for Natural Lands Management, Mills College/Saint Quentin, and other potential academic and conservation partners.
LOS ANGELES County: The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is pursuing local, organic gardens for job
training and reduced food costs, and has plans to restore local creeks and streams bordering or flowing through residential facilities. They are also pursuing a partnership with local zoos to grow plants for animal diets.
MARYLAND: The Maryland Department of Public Safety has collaborated with Correction Services and a scientist at
the University of Maryland-Baltimore County to create the Maryland Green Prisons Initiative. They are providing treeplanting programs, Master Gardener certifications, and oyster growing efforts to restore the depleted Chesapeake Bay.
MULTNOMAH County: The Sheriff’s Office is working with food contractors to buy at least 10% of food locally, andis greening jail operations to save both natural and financial resources. The county jails are also developing garden programs and creating evaluation tools to learn how these opportunities can benefit inmates.
OHIO: In addition to pursuing their Three-Year Strategic Sustainability Plan goals and objectives, SPP-OH’s team ofcorrections professionals, scientists, the Columbus Zoo, The Wilds, and The Vera Institute of Justice have chosen torear an endangered salamander, the eastern hellbender, in a corrections setting.
>>>More next page!
4

Spring 2013, Issue 3

Sustainability in Prisons Project

OREGON: All of Oregon’s prisons are involved with SPP programs and offer programming
including science lectures, growing native plant species and gardening, among others. Oregonalso designated a full-time sustainability coordinator who isusing his many years of experience as a correctional officer tofind the best outcomes for scienceand sustainability programs.
Photo by Guinnevere Shuster
SANTA CLARA County: The
Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department is integrating sustainability into its programming and operations. Landscaping crews
are improving outdoor areas and applying sustainable practices to weed abatement. Worm boxes have been designed and built
for a vermicomposting project; a corresponding classroom curriculum and certification program should be ready soon.
UTAH: The Utah Science in Prisons Project (USPP) has developed partnerships with academics from multiple fields at theUniversity of Utah, and has made extensive preparation to bring science and sustainability programs to local prisons and jails.
USPP also has evaluation tools in place, and will be perfectly situated to share evaluations of their projects with the Network.

Oregon Spotted Frog Update
Carri LeRoy, SPP Co-Director
The Oregon spotted frog (OSF) rearing program at all institutions (including ours at Cedar Creek Corrections Center) has
completed its five-year pilot. Preliminary reintroduction data look excellent and all partners have been pleased with the operation of the program. In 2013 none of
the facilities are rearing OSF; instead
we are working with the Departmentof Fish and Wildlife to examine theEndangered Species Recovery Program and will be making plans with
the OSF working group for the rearing
season in 2014.

Photo by Cyril Ruoso
SPP partner & conservation biologist Marc Hayes stalks the elusive Oregon spotted frog.

In the interim year, we are working toconvert the prison facility to care forwestern pond turtles recuperating after
intensive veterinarian treatment for ashell disease. This could provide theperfect opportunity to create a prisonbased protocol for turtle care, capitalizing on the available facility and expertise of staff.

5Sustainability in Prisons Project

SPP and TEDx

Photo by J. Fischback

Spring 2013, Issue 3In February, The Evergreen State College coordinated its second annual TEDx event. The theme was “Local Innovations
for a Changing World” and the Sustainability in Prisons Project was selected to present first of six speakers. SPP CoDirector Dan Pacholke and Graduate Research Assistant Andrea Martin bent the TED rules by co-presenting; together
they told the story of SPP’s incredible history and growth.
They linked SPP’s evolution and success to the metaphor ofecological disturbance and renewal. Hundreds of Evergreen
students and community members watched live on campus.
The event was also streamed live online, allowing many moreviewers to learn about SPP’s contribution to a changingworld. To watch their talk, go to http://goo.gl/Wje5r

Dan Pacholke and Andrea Martin take the stage at TEDx.
The Sustainability in Prisons Project
The Evergreen State College
Environmental Studies, Lab II
2700 Evergreen Parkway NW
Olympia, Washington 98505
bushk@evergreen.edu & trivettj@evergreen.edu
www.sustainabilityinprisons.org

Sustainability in Prisons
Project Vision
The mission of the Sustainability in Prisons
Project is to bring science and nature 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 andinforming sustainable practices.
Photo by Cyril Ruoso
This 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 in conservation and the advancement of scientific knowledge. We encourage teamwork, mutual
respect, and a stewardship ethic among individuals who typically have little or no access to nature or opportunities in science and sustainability. To donate to the project, please go to: http://give.evergreen.edu/profiles/prisons.html
6