U.S. Department of Justice

National Institute of Corrections

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CORRECTIONS

The Greening of 

Corrections Creating a Sustainable System
U.S. Department of Justice

National Institute of Corrections

320 First Street, NW

Washington, DC 20534

Morris L. Thigpen

Director

Thomas J. Beauclair

Deputy Director

Sherry Carroll

Correctional Program Specialist

National Institute of Corrections

www.nicic.gov
The Greening of 

Corrections Creating a Sustainable System

NIC Accession Number 024914 

March 2011

Mindy Feldbaum, AED

Frank Greene, RicciGreene Associates

Sarah Kirschenbaum, The Corps Network

Debbie Mukamal and Megan Welsh,

John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 

Prisoner Reentry Institute

Dr. Raquel Pinderhughes
This document was produced under Cooperative Agreement Number 09PEI27GKA8 from 

the National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view or opinions 

in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official 

position of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The National Institute of Corrections reserves the right to reproduce, publish, translate, 

or otherwise use, and to authorize others to publish and use all or part of the copyrighted 

materials contained in this publication.

essociat eene As ciGry Ric vided b os: left and right pro ver photoC

Message from the Director i

Introduction iii

Greening of Correctional Facilities vii

Completing the Sustainable Model: 

Preparing and Training Inmates

20

Correctional Industries: Creating Sustainable 

Products/Services and a Green Workforce

38

Green Reentry Programs 44

Recommendations for Greening Prisons 

and Jails

48

Conclusion: The Sustainable Correctional/ 

Detention Facility of the Future

50

Appendices 54

Contents
Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions made to this publication 

by Gina Honeycutt, Camile and George Camp of the Association of State Correctional 

Administrators, Dan Pacholke, Brad Bogue, Tommy Norris and the American 

Correctional Association Clean and Green Committee members, the Majora Carter 

Group, and Kibira Young. A special thanks goes to Sherry Carroll of the National 

Institute of Corrections who served as an invaluable partner and resource through 

the process. 

We would also like to recognize Anne Quito, Brian Lemen and Melanie Yu for the 

design and layout of the publication and Ivan Charner for his support and advice. 

And lastly, we want to give a big thanks to Noreen Beatley, Caitlin Rose Dailey, and 

Stephanie Davison for their writing and researching contributions to the publication.
i

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

Message from the Director

Today, with the increase in the prison population combined with the rising costs 

of protecting public safety and rehabilitating prisoners, correctional leaders across 

the country are challenged with operating at maximum efficiency to provide quality 

services in a time of limited resources. These challenges range from rising energy 

costs, increased water use and food, to the provision of education and training for 

prisoners to help them successfully transition into their communities. While many 

of these challenges may seem daunting, we believe some of the most innovative and 

greatest cost savings solutions can be found in the greening of corrections.

 Increasingly, correctional professionals are evaluating the long-term 

 To assist the corrections field in moving towards a more holistic and 
Message from the Director

ii

The Greening of Corrections publication provides 

correctional professionals with a framework to gain a 

general understanding of sustainability practices 

and principles and to identify examples of innovative 

and practical applications of operations, programs, 

and management strategies for self-sustaining facilities. The publication highlights 

recommendations on how to get started and provides a range of examples from upgrading 

existing correctional facilities with more efficient lighting, heating, and cooling systems 

to recycling food waste and organic gardening to a more ambitious and visionary example 

using a Net Zero buildings model, with net zero carbon emissions, energy use, and waste 

production. We hope that this information will help jumpstart your sustainability efforts 

at your facilities. In addition, the publication offers helpful information on the “greening 

of occupations,” promising sectors that are more open to hiring individuals with criminal 

records, and a summary of environmental literacy curricula that could prove useful when 

implementing new or adapting existing green education and training programs. 

We believe the path to sustainability is not only technically feasible for correctional facilities 

but also critical as it allows us to reduce our costs of doing business, assist in making our 

communities more sustainable, help our inmates reintegrate into society in a productive and 

meaningful way, and ultimately, ensure that we are preserving our environment now and 

for generations to come. 

Morris L. Thigpen

Director

National Institute of Corrections

“While many of these challenges may seem 

daunting, we believe some of the most 

innovative and cost savings solutions can 

be found in the greening of corrections.”

©Benjamin Drummond / bdsjs.com
iii

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

INTRODUCTION

Although the primary goal of corrections is safety 

for the community and for those housed and 

working within the facilities, increasingly, sustainability 

goals and strategies are being integrated into 

policies and plans within the corrections community. 

Accordingly, more and more leaders within corrections 

are evaluating the long-term impacts of its buildings, 

operations, and programs on the environment, 

community, and economy, and are making decisions on 

management, resource allocation, and programming 

based on green principles and practices. The greening 

of corrections provides an extraordinary opportunity to 

create more efficient, resilient, and sustainable prisons 

and jails, with benefits that include reducing the 

financial and human capital costs of prisons through 

reduced energy and resource consumption and 

engaging inmates in hands-on work experiences 

and education and training to prepare them for jobs 

in the emerging green economy.

 To assist the corrections field in moving 

facilities, 2) identify green job training programs and 

jobs that provide viable employment opportunities 

in the emerging green economy for individuals in 

correctional facilities and those reentering communities, 

and 3) make prison industry products, jobs, and 

services more environmentally friendly. This paper 

seeks to lay out the current landscape of green 

education and training programs and correctional 

industries through surveys conducted with members 

of the Association of State Correctional Administrators 

(ASCA) and the National Correctional Industries 

Association (NCIA) and two focus groups conducted 

at the NCIA Annual Conference. 

“The information in this paper is not meant to 

be exhaustive, particularly since sustainability 

practices, production of green goods and services, 

and green education and training programs are 

constantly evolving as new green processes, 

materials, and technologies come to market. 

Instead, the greening of corrections paper serves 

as a starting point for the corrections field by 

providing both a general understanding of 

sustainability practices and principles and by 

identifying examples of innovative and practical 

applications of operations, programs, and 

management strategies for self-sustaining facilities.” 

This paper will examine the current tools, strategies, 

and practices of sustainability activities within 
Introduction

correctional facilities and provide basic information 

and recommendations to practitioners in applying this 

knowledge to their own facilities. The summary of 

current research, strategies, and practices is broken 

into five distinct sections focused on: 1) the greening 

of correctional facilities and their operations, 2) the 

education and training of inmates to prepare for 

reentry including environmental literacy, 3) the current 

landscape of the greening of correctional industries 

through processes, products, and partnerships, 4) the 

greening of reentry programs, and 5) recommendations 

and “how-to” guidance for correctional facility staff in 

implementing sustainability practices and programs 

and leadership, ranging in complexity and investment.

iv

onsectorr te Department of C taon S ashingt y W ovided b o prPhot
Photo provided by Rhode Island Department of Correctons
vii

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

GREENING OF 

CORRECTIONAL

FACILITIES
1

Greening of Correctional Facilities

Traditional practice in correctional facility design and operations has used programs 

and techniques that could well be termed “sustainable,” but would benefit from 

an overarching vision that connects these activities with the greater goal of contributing 

to the sustainability of our society. The green or sustainability movement has gained 

acceptance because it proposes that we examine our activities for ways to reduce their 

impact on the natural world. The current patterns of human activity, often wasteful 

of resources, toxic to habitat, water, and air and demeaning to the human spirit are 

undergoing an examination in many areas to find ways to make them more harmonious 

with the natural world, the better to provide for our continued existence. Because of the 

degree of order and control of human behavior, the need to create productive activities, 

and opportunities to reduce the economic burden placed on society, correctional 

facilities represent an attractive “living laboratory” environment for self-sustaining 

facilities. The current view of sustainability through a correctional field perspective is 

that a triple bottom line of “3 E’s” must be pursued in balance:1, 2

Environment - in reducing negative impact, often expressed as the carbon 

footprint, but also including pollution and waste stream reduction, of the buildings 

on their environment. 

Economic - in reducing costs over the lifetime of the buildings. This might also 

include the opportunity for revenue-generating activities. 

Equity - in targeting programs that will increase the possibility of redirecting 

or “correcting” the behavior of the individuals whose activities have resulted in 

their incarceration. This would have benefits for the individual, for their families, 

and for the communities impacted either positively by successful reentry 

or negatively, if the released offender commits another crime.

With buildings that are environmentally friendly, low in operating cost, pollution, and 

waste, and with green programs that result in desirable products and a workforce 

trained in high demand job skills, the correctional facility may be an ideal case 

for organizing around these three tenets of sustainability as it can be viewed as a 

microcosm of society. With a properly trained and motivated staff, a cooperative 

relationship between communities and strategic partners, and a proactive mobilization 

of the human resources available in the sentenced population, a holistic and sustainable 

system can be achieved.

Where to Begin: What Is a Green Building?

From a sustainability standpoint, correctional facilities are 24-hour energy intensive 

structures that focus on security, with most existing building stock constructed 

with little regard to efficient lighting, heating, and cooling. New models for building 

design and existing building retrofits have emerged that focus on energy efficiency 

and conservation. This has been driven mainly by federal and state policies and the 

desire for cost savings in a time of fiscal restraint. The benefit of greening correctional 

facilities is that they will consume fewer resources, create less pollution, and provide 

healthier environments for the users – inmates, staff, visitors, and administration.

Sustainability

Environment

Economy Equity

“The current view of 

sustainability through 

a correctional field 

perspective is that 

a triple bottom line 

of ‘3 E’s’ must be 

pursued in balance...”
2

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

Generally, the key features of green building are:

• Site development that encourages mass transit 

use and renews land

• Buildings that are low energy/resource consumption

• Processes that minimize waste and create healthy 

byproducts

• Healthful interior environments that enhance 

productivity

• Construction using materials that are local, 

renewable, recycled, and recyclable

Green buildings are those planned, designed, 

constructed and operated in harmony with nature, with 

as little impact as possible on the natural environment. 

There are numerous ways to quantify the “greenness” 

of a building and the next two sections will highlight 

two of them - Leadership in Energy and Environmental 

Design (LEED) and Energy Star.3 Energy Star is 

designed to measure a building’s performance, create 

practical operating benchmarks/goals for energy 

use, and help monitor energy efficiency. The focus 

of Energy Star is energy use reduction. LEED, on the 

other hand, is a much broader approach encompassing 

“people, planet, and profit.” The “triple bottom line” 

takes into account economic, environmental, and social 

equity issues throughout the entire building process 

from concept to design, construction and operations. 

(See http://www.green-buildings.com/content/78308-

leed-vs-energy-star.) Both are the acknowledged 

benchmarks nationally - which can help correctional 

facility operators seek a pathway to making existing 

or new facilities more sustainable.

LEED Rating System 

and Justice Facilities

The LEED process provides a yardstick for defining 

a green building and therefore, correctional facilities 

must have an understanding of the rating system. 

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), 

LEED has accelerated the trend towards 

energy efficiency and is the benchmark in North 

America for evaluating the relative sustainability 

or “greenness” of buildings. Within LEED, there are 

alternative “scorecards” that respond precisely to the 

basis of a construction project, i.e. new construction 

(LEED-NC), renovation on existing buildings (LEEDEB), and interior construction (LEED-IC). A recent 

innovation by the USGBC is the notion of an “overlay” 

to the base scoring templates to recognize the 

different baseline characteristics of building types 

whose sustainability profiles vary significantly from 

the generic office building model used as the LEED 

standard. Because correctional and detention facilities 

do not fit the typical profile of generic office buildings, 

a LEED/Justice (LEED-J) overlay template has been 

proposed, which would weight certain categories 

differently than the standard model, and perhaps adopt 

different or additional prerequisites. The precedent 

for this concept has been established by the Green 

Health Care Initiative with an overlay template for 

health facilities. Ongoing dialogue between the 

American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the USGBC 

suggests that this concept could be extended to 

detention and correctional facilities, and the formation 

of a Technical Assistance Group (TAG) to prepare 

the detention/correctional facility overlay template 

is underway.

 The LEED-EB can be used as a tool to evaluate 

Sustainable Sites* 26 points possible

Water Efficiency* 10 points possible

Energy and Atmosphere* 35 points possible

Materials and Resources* 14 points possible

Indoor Environmental Quality* 15 points possible

Innovation and Design Process 6 points possible

Regional Priority Points 4 points possible

TOTAL Possible: 110
3

Greening of Correctional Facilities

Impact of State Mandates on Correctional 

Facility Operations

More and more state governments are passing 

legislation to create standards for energy efficiency, 

solid waste reduction, and renewable energy. While 

these standards or “mandates” have an impact on 

all state agencies, departments of corrections are 

affected in different ways. States are also taking 

different approaches to addressing energy efficiency 

(i.e., reducing energy consumption) and solid waste 

reduction. For example, some states like Alabama, 

Kentucky, and Tennessee are requiring specific 

reductions in energy consumption and waste over time. 

Other states, including Arizona and Utah, take a more 

holistic approach, addressing energy efficiency, solid 

waste reduction and other green building practices 

together by requiring all new buildings to be LEED 

certified.6 Some state departments of corrections view 

these new requirements as a way to save money, limit 

the negative impact on the environment, and become 

innovators in the field. Consider two examples:

ENERGY EFFICIENCY:

In 2002, the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) 

was challenged to reduce its sky-rocketing energy 

costs. Staff worked closely with Florida Power & 

Lighting Company (FPL) to update a variety of systems 

while not threatening inmate security. These measures 

included installing high efficiency lighting, updating 

water fixtures, water conservation and control measures, 

more efficient air conditioning, and eliminating aging 

steam laundry and cooking systems. In the first year 

alone, the Florida DOC saved almost $900,000.7

Since implementing the original measures, the Florida 

DOC has worked closely with FPL to implement other 

energy innovations. For example, in 2007, FPL and 

partners debuted a microturbine generator at the 

Tomoka Correctional Institution in Daytona Beach. 

When the governor signed executive orders to reduce 

greenhouse gas emissions, in 2007, all state agencies 

had to implement new strategies for energy efficiency 

and require all new buildings be LEED certified. As a 

result of earlier upgrades, the mandates had limited 

impact on the Florida DOC.

SOLID WASTE REDUCTION:

In 1991, the state of South Carolina passed a 

comprehensive law regulating solid waste management 

and setting waste reduction and recycling goals. The 

South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) 

worked with 50 other state agencies for the initial 

implementation. By 2004, SCDC had diverted 50 

percent of its solid waste from landfills annually. By 

2009, recycling cost avoidance/savings were estimated 

at $540,042 annually.8 Today, SCDC treats waste 

reduction and recycling as a management practice, 

not a state mandate. Prison industries teach inmates 

how to recycle and upgrade donated computers for 

distribution to school districts. Some correctional 

facilities support local recycling centers. In fact, in past 

years SCDC recycling centers have received awards 

for excellence.

Each of the starred (*) categories has prerequisites 

that do not have points available, but which must be 

met before any points can be earned in that category. 

The Energy and Atmosphere category has the greatest 

number of points available. The point totals necessary 

to earn a LEED Certification are:5

Certified 40 points possible

Silver 50 points possible

Gold 60 points possible

Platinum 110 points possible

Innovations in LEED v.3 include greater emphasis 

on the Energy and Atmosphere category and the 

introduction of Regional Priority Credits to make the 

scorecard more sensitive to local climate and context. 

The operational profiles of detention and correctional 

facilities are distinct, and perhaps closest to that of 

a hospital facility, which has densely occupied 24/7 

mission critical facilities consuming greater energy 

on an annual basis than do typical commercial or 

residential buildings. In addition, many correctional 

facilities consume far greater amounts of water per 
4

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

square foot than do standard building types. Finally, 

the need for security and robust construction makes 

otherwise simple glazing and daylighting (the practice 

of placing windows or other openings and reflective 

surfaces so that during the day natural light provides 

effective internal lighting) criteria significant cost 

challenges in the detention/corrections building. To 

address these concerns, the USGBC has instituted a 

program of Credit Interpretation Requests (CIR) that 

help designers and owners obtain guidance about 

conditions specific to their projects that differ from 

the mainstream. The responses to the CIR are maintained 

at the USGBC and are available to designers working 

on subsequent projects. There are numerous detention/

corrections projects that have gone through this 

process, and the CIR responses are great resources 

for future projects. These CIRs and rulings can be 

found at www.usgbc.org. 

 Correctional facility operators seeking a 

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

The State of California suffers from particularly high energy costs and instability within its energy supply. 

In fact, the state is often plagued with rolling brownouts (scheduled reductions in available voltage to a region) 

and has experienced large-scale blackouts in the past decade. As a result, each state agency has taken drastic 

action in reducing energy consumption and costs. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 

(CDCR) has experienced substantial savings as a result of some of their energy efficiency measures. In 2008 

alone, the California DCR saved more than $3 million.

CDCR Energy Savings Projects (Phase I) 2008

Facility Project Description Annual 

Savings ($)

Valley State Prison for Women Lighting improvements, kitchen equipment upgrade, laundry 

improvements

174,954.56

Central California Women’s Facility WWTP aerator improvements 78,801.16

Pleasant Valley state prison WWTP aerator improvements, motor controls various lighting 

retrofits

174,334.13

Wasco State Prison HVAC control, housing unit fan VFDs various lighting retrofits 178,716.06

Corcoran State Prison Energy management control systems 369,942.51

Mule Creek State Prison Housing unit fan VFDs 234,487.35

CSP Los Angeles County Refrigeration controls, various lighting retrofits HVAC controls 185,918.44

Ironwood State Prison Housing unit fan VFDs 236,158.23

California Correctional Institution Lighting improvements, boiler retrofit 466,121.44

RJ Donovan Laundry upgrades, various lighting retrofits 166,266.72

California Training Facility Motor upgrades, lift station VFD, various lighting retrofits 158,765.62

California Institution for Women Lighting retrofit, HVAC control 99,884.56

Major Lighting Retrofit Projects

Corcoran State Prison Facility wide interior lighting retrofit 163,035.50

Mule Creek State Prison Facility wide interior lighting retrofit 121,309.76

North Kern State Prison Facility wide interior lighting retrofit 150,156.09

CSP Los Angeles County Facility wide interior lighting retrofit 234,362.63

Total 3,189,214.73
5

Greening of Correctional Facilities

location of the building is advantageous (e.g., with 

access to mass transit). Some points will be achievable 

with simple adjustments to operating procedures 

(introducing recycling and composting programs). 

Many of the points will require capital investment to 

achieve, particularly in the Energy and Atmosphere 

category. These are the points that have direct 

payback, with energy cost savings paying for the 

investment in increased insulation/weatherization, 

more efficient systems, and even renewable energy 

systems. Because the energy consumption in a 

correctional facility is so great, the payback for 

renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic panels 

and solar cooling/ heating is far more advantageous 

than for less intensively used buildings. 

 Design of a correctional facility, whether prison 

 With the introduction of the new LEED v.3, 

Energy Star Program and 

Energy Management Assessment

For building operators not concerned with the full 

scope of the LEED analysis and its seven categories 

of rating, most of which do not address operating 

costs, the Energy Star program may be a simpler and 

more focused way of performing an initial evaluation 

of the building’s energy performance in comparison 

to benchmarks of model buildings.3 Energy Star is a 

joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy 

(DOE) designed to bolster environmental protection 

and energy savings through energy efficient products 

and practices. (See http://www.energystar.gov/index.

cfm?c=about.ab_index) 

 Energy Star was created by the EPA in 1992 

and provides building owners with strategic energy 

management plans designed to benefit both the 

environment, by reducing the 15 percent of greenhouses 

gases attributable to buildings, and the owner’s bottom 

line.3 The policies of Energy Star are designed to 

overcome what the EPA/DOE describe as market 

barriers (i.e. lack of information and split incentives) 

to the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency 

products and services. See http://www.green-buildings.

com/content/78308-leed-vs-energy-star for more 

information.

Buildings and Energy Star

Energy Star offers building owners a straightforward 

way to adopt superior energy management and a way 

to realize the cost savings and environmental benefits 

that can result. EPA promotes a strategy that starts 

with the organization’s top leadership, engages staff 

throughout the organization, and uses standardized 

measurement tools to help an organization get the 

most from its energy efficiency investments. EPA 

seeks to develop partnerships across the commercial 

and industrial sectors to facilitate the development of 

best practices and information sharing. While EPA will 

partner with any interested organization, special focus 
6

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

has been placed on those sectors for which EPA has 

been able to develop new standardized measurement 

tools. These sectors include commercial real estate, 

public buildings, schools (K-12), higher education, 

healthcare, hospitality, automobile manufacturing, 

cement manufacturing, wet corn milling, and others. 

 Through its work with thousands of partners 

• Top-level commitment to reduce energy waste. 

Without this commitment, resources are often not 

allocated to energy projects, and efficiency programs 

are not sustained. 

• Routine assessment of organization-wide 

performance against competitors and across one’s 

own portfolio. Assessing energy use in all operations 

and all buildings results in resources being targeted 

to those facilities with the greatest potential for 

improvement. Organizations can rank their own 

properties, learn from the high performers, and 

upgrade the poor performers. 

• Use of a systems-integrated approach to upgrade 

buildings. Sizing heating and cooling equipment, 

integrating individual technical components, and 

controlling, operating, and maintaining equipment 

play a big role in the energy performance of 

a building.

Distinguishing the top performing buildings based on 

results from the national energy performance rating 

system, EPA offers the Energy Star label as a way to 

distinguish buildings that are top energy performers - 

those scoring in the top 25 percent - which also meet 

industry standards for indoor air quality.9 The following 

are some quick facts about Energy Star:

• Thousands of organizations have applied for the 

Energy Star and by the end of 2002, 1,100 top 

performing buildings nationwide had earned the 

prestigious label.

• As a group, Energy Star qualifying buildings use 40 

percent less energy than the average building in the 

United States, while providing quality space. 

• EPA will continue to offer the Energy Star label 

for top performing buildings and work with 

organizations to help them highlight the design, 

operations, and maintenance features that make 

the buildings qualify. 

• EPA is collaborating with leaders in the Green 

Buildings Industry to ensure that similar approaches 

are used to recognize top energy performing 

buildings in the Energy Star program as are used 

for LEED certification.

Rate Your Building’s Energy 

Performance

The national energy performance rating is an external 

benchmark that helps energy managers assess how 

efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar 

buildings nationwide. The rating system’s 1–100 scale 

allows everyone to quickly understand how a building 

is performing — a rating of 50 indicates average energy 

performance, while a rating of 75 or better indicates top 

performance. Using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, 

statistically representative models are used to compare 

your building against similar buildings from a national 

survey conducted by the Department of Energy’s 

Energy Information Administration.10 This national 

survey, known as the Commercial Building Energy 

Consumption Survey (CBECS), is conducted every four 

years, and gathers data on building characteristics and 

energy use from thousands of buildings across the 

United States. Your building’s peer group of comparison 

is those buildings in the CBECS survey that have 

similar building and operating characteristics. For more 

information, visit the Department of Energy website

dedicated to CBECS at http://www.eia.doe.gov/

emeu/cbecs/.

 EPA, in conjunction with stakeholders, 
Figure 1: The Energy 

Star Rating Process

11 Diagram excerpted from LEED user EBOM 2009 EAp2: Minimum Energy Efficiency Performance.

7

Greening of Correctional Facilities
8

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

The diagram on page 7 explains the Energy Star rating process, illustrating the 

parallel processes for projects that fit the eligibility criteria directly, and for those 

that are not eligible, but which can benefit from the analysis.

How the Rating System Works

While there is no benchmark standard for the rating of correctional facilities, energy 

managers are able to use similar building types as a benchmark. Hospitals, like 

correctional institutions, operate round-the-clock and house people in staff intensive 

settings and are good candidates for use as benchmarks, as are other recently 

completed buildings designed according to sustainable principles. While there is a 

need for a corrections specific benchmark to simplify this evaluation process, the 

current process is available and is a valid indicator of the energy performance of an 

existing building.

 Correctional institutions can still be recognized by the EPA for energy 

 Understanding the essential elements and benchmarks for green building 

How Do I Start? Cost-Effective Strategies for 

Sustainable Correctional Facilities

There is a demonstrated body of knowledge around the business case for various 

sustainability strategies for correctional facilities. These include: clear short-and 

long-term returns on investment, mitigation of the uncertainty of future energy 

costs and supply, and the provision of education and training opportunities for 

inmates that will result in marketable skills for the current or future labor market. 

Strategies begin with three ways of reducing the energy consumption and cost 

as illustrated in the diagram to the left.

 The application of cost savings strategies for a detention/correctional 

Energy Reduction Strategy

100

80

60

40

20

0

COST

TIME

REDUCE REFINE RENEW
9

Greening of Correctional Facilities

consumption and the last two, on operational 

approaches that can reduce costs and increase 

sustainability.

1. Reduce Loads and Heating, Cooling, 

and Lighting Demand

The greatest impact on energy use is obtained by 

reducing the heating and cooling needs of buildings. 

Tightening the building envelope to reduce heat 

gain in summer and heat loss in winter and utilizing 

favorable solar orientations can reduce energy 

consumption as much as 40 percent. Many state 

and federal incentives exist for these energy saving 

measures. Strategies include:

• Add insulation to walls and roofs

• Reward energy saving behaviors of prisoners 

and staff 

• Upgrade windows, exterior doors, and 

weatherize buildings

• Eliminate thermal bridging at foundations, 

slab edges, parapets 

• Utilize favorable south facing windows for 

winter heat gain

• Shade east and west windows from summer 

heat gain

2. Refine Systems to Increase Energy Efficiency 

by Updating Building Systems and Equipment

Replacement of existing low efficiency equipment is 

another source of energy cost reductions. With 

reduced demand after adding insulation, the more 

efficient equipment can be sized for smaller energy 

loads, increasing savings by as much as an additional 

40 percent. Again, many incentive and grant programs 

exist that can reduce the initial capital outlay. 

Strategies include:

• Install Energy Star-rated equipment/appliances

• Upgrade efficiency of boilers and heaters

• Modernize energy management systems

• Install energy efficient lighting

• Install lighting controls with occupancy and 

daylight sensors

Ironwood State Prison and 

California Energy Savings

Every state is facing 

the reality of shrinking 

budgets, increased energy 

costs and potential energy 

shortages—perhaps none 

more than California. 

As a result, the state 

has taken drastic efforts 

to reduce energy 

consumption and, when 

possible, produce its 

own clean and renewable 

energy. The Ironwood State Prison, a minimum and 

medium custody male offender prison housing more 

than 4,500 inmates, located along the desert border 

of California and Arizona, faces unique challenges and 

opportunities in addressing its energy needs. 

 In 2008, the California Department of 

 Over the lifetime of the system, Ironwood 

 While few other prisons have installed 

photovoltaic panels, it is possible in climates outside 

of sunny California and is becoming a more popular 

practice. For example, the Riverside Correctional Facility 

in Philadelphia installed solar panels in 2008. Experts 

estimate savings of 20-25 percent, with the project 

paying for itself within 9 years of installation, and 

saving over $ 1.1 million over anticipated 25-year life. 

Other projects from New Jersey to Nevada have 

also been initiated in recent years.

Photograph provided by California Dept. 

of Correction and Rehabilitation
10

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

DENVER DETENTION

CENTER Photo provided by RicciGreene Associates

The recently completed Denver Detention Center 

is a model for current practice in detention center 

planning and design. It is a LEED Gold facility 

with well-insulated walls and roof, highly efficient 

mechanical systems, and low projected water use 

appropriate to its site in the arid high desert of 

Colorado. Its location in the civic center of Denver, 

with a tunnel connection to the new courthouse, 

greatly reduces vehicular trips for prisoners, staff and 

visitors. The building design is specifically intended 

to reflect the solid and dignified limestone massing 

of the adjacent Beaux Arts neo-Classical buildings 

of the civic center, including the Denver Mint, with 

no visible signifiers of a punitive purpose.

 While the Denver Detention Center has 

via solar collectors. Due to its constrained site and 

budget, the Denver facility does not incorporate the 

kind of green programs that represent the next step 

in fully integrating the notion of a green building with 

sustainable programs, like urban gardening training, 

recycling, and other environmentally oriented job 

skills. It is, however, an exemplary model of current 

best practices. 

 The changing justice system with its 

To learn more about the Denver Detention Center, go to 

www.denvergov.org/communitycorrections 
Greening of Correctional Facilities

3. Renew Energy Use by Adopting Zero Carbon 

or Lower Carbon Energy Sources

A new model for building development is the concept 

of Net Zero buildings, with net zero carbon emissions, 

energy use, and waste production. These buildings 

balance the carbon created by their construction and 

operations with onsite and offsite renewable energy 

sources and resource offsets. This is a visionary and 

ambitious goal, a standard that emphasizes the need 

to balance energy with other environmental goals, 

and a worthy long-term aspiration. With this goal in 

place, buildings can plan for incremental performance 

upgrades over time, incorporating mature technologies 

as they become cost effective. Strategies include:

• Install on-site generation from renewable sources 

(solar, wind, wood) including co-generation 

energy plants

• Purchase from renewable energy sources

• Switch to lower carbon fuels 

4. Mine Your Waste: Recycle, Reuse, and Compost

Daily operations of correctional facilities often consume 

resources that can easily be reduced with minimal 

cost and effort. This is especially true when considering 

the daily schedule and practices of inmates. For 

example, the food service side of correctional facilities 

has the potential for innovation: current practice puts 

large garbage disposals in kitchens, grinding food waste 

that is then flushed to the local water treatment plant. 

Recycling that food waste by means of composting has 

several benefits: reduced load for the water treatment 

plant, reduced transportation-related needs for waste, 

creation of valuable “clean” compost that can be used in 

gardening programs at the facility, sold to local farmers, 

or donated to community programs, and the training 

of inmates in the low-tech, low-entry barrier skills 

required to make this valuable product. Furthermore, 

food service operations also offer the potential for 

introduction of gardening and agriculture in both urban 

and rural settings.

 State prisons have traditionally used rural low 

11

onsectorr te Department of C taon S ashingt y W ovided b o prPhot
12

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

gardening skills can be directed even to inmates serving 

relatively short sentences, and serve as a transition 

to reentry programs. According to the ASCA survey 

conducted for this paper,15 approximately 22 percent 

of states (of which 49 members representing 34 states 

responded – a full list of states surveyed is available 

in the appendix) are linking green vocational training 

opportunities with the broader sustainability efforts of 

the prison, mostly with greenhouse and horticulture 

programs or farm projects.

 Cooperative relationships with community-

“Properly integrated with the form and patterns 

of adjacent building development, the detention 

facility can blend into the community, providing 

a secure and stabilizing ‘good neighbor’ in 

distressed neighborhoods.”

The experience developed in sustainable programs 

at Rikers Island, NY (see highlight on page 19) is 

readily transferable to the urban jail. Gardening and 

urban farming programs have been viewed from 

different perspectives: Therapeutic, as a low cost way 

of introducing programs that induce better behavior, 

both as a consequence of meaningful activity, and as 

a privilege earned through consistent “good behavior;” 

Productive, in creating valuable food crops that can 

be consumed by inmates or donated to the needy; 

and Educational, in creating a sense of environmental 

awareness and developing horticultural and farming 

skills. The ideal configuration of an urban farming 

program is one where the food waste stream is 

composted to provide soil for gardens on the building 

roof that help cool the building and store storm water, 

while producing food, and training inmates for green 

jobs once released. Gardening programs can be 

directed by outside not-for-profit groups who help 

create access to jobs with low barriers to entry.

5. Rethink Waste Water and Management 

Water is one of the most valuable and limited resources 

for human life. Correctional facilities and their inmates 

use large amounts of water; as such reduction and 

reuse of water is an essential element of managing a 

green facility. Water reduction and reuse can be done 

in a variety of ways. Consider the following:

• Low flow toilets and appliances can greatly reduce 

water consumption in a facility, while also decreasing 

the risk of fixtures being clogged by inmates forcing 

clothing into the piping. An innovative technology 

successfully implemented in several facilities is 

a vacuum flush system that radically reduces the 

water volume and the opportunity for clogging 

pipes. The system is fully compatible with the 

operational need of a secure facility and is price 

competitive with conventional systems.

• Green roofs reduce runoff into storm water systems, 

cooling both the spaces below and the neighboring 

environment, and serve as a source of food 

production and locus of inmate gardening training 

programs, if developed as roof gardens.

• Capturing grey water before release into the sanitary 

systems emphasizes using water twice before 

discarding. Water from roof drains, sinks, and 

other non-potable sources can be stored in tanks 

and diverted to cooling towers, toilet flushing, 

and irrigation. 

• Rain gardens, permeable paving and soft curbs 

are some of the measures that can be used to 

reduce run-off from site development and the 

impact of surges on treatment plants, particularly 

in areas in older cities where the storm and 

sanitary systems are combined.

Photo provided by Horticultural Society of New York
13

Greening of Correctional Facilities

onsectorr te Department of C taon S ashingt y W ovided b o prPhot

WASHINGTON STATE 

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

The Sustainable Prisons Project

In 2002, then-Washington Governor Locke challenged all state agencies to meet new sustainability 

standards. An Executive Order required each agency to set specific, long-term sustainability goals 

to reduce waste, water, and energy consumption, and report progress on a biannual basis. The 

Washington Department of Corrections (DOC), determined to exceed all expectations, launched 

an ambitious effort, leveraging the power and creativity of partners to reduce its annual budget 

and prepare inmates for the outside world. This coincided with the initiation of a partnership with 

scientists from The Evergreen State College (TESC), a public liberal arts institution of higher learning 

in Olympia, Washington, who enlisted the help of inmates to carry out sustainability practices and 

conservation biology research on endangered species in the bioregion. Today, Washington’s DOC 

has not only exceeded expectations, but has garnered national media attention and recognition for 

its innovative and unique sustainability practices and programs.

 Like all government agencies in Washington state, the DOC was required to meet specific 
14

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

with 2004 serving as a baseline. Each year, the DOC publishes a “Sustainability Progress 

Report” highlighting six baseline areas which include: 1) Reduce dependence on nonrenewable energy and fuel source, 2) Reduce potable water use, 3) Reduce waste, 4) 

Reduce use of toxic materials, 5) Increase the sustainability of facilities, and 6) Increase the 

Department’s commitment to and employee awareness of sustainability. Each of Washington’s 

15 correctional facilities reports out progress in the six areas, as well as any pilot programs 

such as the Washington Correctional Center’s Solid Waste Reduction Pilot. The report has 

sophisticated measurements; for example, energy consumption can be adjusted for weather 

conditions such as a historically cold winter or summer heat wave. 

 The information collected in the reports is also an essential management tool with 

 Correctional facilities nationwide most likely have some of the information presented 

in Washington’s annual Sustainability Report, such as the amount of energy consumed 

annually. However, few correctional facilities present the information so that progress is easily 

understood over time and facility managers can take practical steps to reduce waste, water, 

and energy consumption. For example, Washington’s DOC breaks down energy consumption 

in two ways, first, by offender and, second, by square foot. Over a several year period, the 

DOC can see if it is being responsive to changing prison populations and building age and 

maintenance. Washington’s report may serve as a template or planning tool for other states 

to set goals and implement cost-effective sustainability programs. For more information, visit 

the DOC’s website at http://www.doc.wa.gov/goals/sustainability/. Beyond upgrading existing 

buildings, the DOC has built 38 new buildings, all rated LEED Silver or Gold, including the 

only Gold certified campus, Coyote Ridge Corrections Center.

Table 2: Total Facility Energy Use for FY03 through FY09 with all Energy 

Sources Converted to KWH

Total Annual Energy Use

Fiscal Year KWH KWH per Offender KWH per sq. ft.

FY03 387,371,962 1,809 4.08

FY04 389,677,690 1,822 4.01

FY05 394,988,544 1,788 4.00

FY06 387,518,794 1,814 3.82

FY07 403,319,934 1,868 4.02

FY08 420,632,554 1,934 4.07

FY09 410,990,709 1,891 3.85

Percent Change from FY03 6.1% 4.5% -5.7%
15

Greening of Correctional Facilities

The Washington DOC has also enhanced and supplemented its sustainability work through 

partners. Six years ago, a Superintendent and Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, an ecology professor at TESC, 

met by happenstance and created a vision to connect prisoners and prisons to nature and 

science. The resulting partnership began at a small minimum security men’s prison (Cedar Creek 

Corrections Center, CCCC) in a project they called the “Sustainable Prisons Project.” They focused 

in three areas: 1) green-collar education and training, 2) sustainable operations of prisons, and 

3) scientific research and conservation. Today, the Sustainable Prisons Project has expanded to 

four more prisons, both men’s and women’s, ranging from maximum to minimum security. While 

much of the project mirrors the work instigated by state mandates, the Sustainable Prisons 

Project also inspires DOC staff at other facilities to enhance and create new sustainability projects.

 The Sustainable Prisons Project’s first 

 These lectures have had positive 

 Inmates, as both part of the Sustainable Prisons Project and outside it, work on green-

 The Sustainable Prisons Project also engages inmates in work projects on green-collar 

om ©Benjamin Drummond / bdsjs.c
16

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

For example, at CCCC, organic vegetables planted and tended by inmates are served in the 

dining hall. The gardens are situated so that offenders pass them regularly, reinforcing the 

direct connections between humans and nature. At both CCCC and SCCC, inmates are part 

of a pilot training program to become beekeepers. Inmates take classroom study and apply 

knowledge about bee biology and behavior, hive construction and maintenance, beekeeping 

equipment and commercial business practices to their work. Participants also work closely 

with the project entomologist and beekeeper to design and conduct a research project with 

publishable results. Dan Pacholke, of the Washington DOC, touts the therapeutic quality of 

the connection to living beings that is gardening, a “sense of empathy,” he says, “you can’t 

replicate through cognitive behavioral therapy.” Inmates also support an on-site composting 

system with trace scraping to create a “closed loop” food system that reduced solid waste 

at the facility by 50 percent. 

The Sustainable Prisons Project’s second goal, to have an impact on sustainable operations, 

has had substantial effects on the DOC’s bottom line. For example, a zero-waste garbage 

sorting center at CCCC recoups commonly discarded objects such as silverware and clothing 

for reuse. The Monroe Correctional Facility, inspired by the work of the Sustainable Prisons 

Project, implemented its own waste reduction program and saves an estimated $45,000 a 

year on trash can liners.

 The third goal of the Sustainable Prisons Project is its most unique—to engage inmates 

om ©Benjamin Drummond / bdsjs.c
17

Greening of Correctional Facilities

Spotted Frogs, a state endangered species, for release into the 

wild. Inmates act as ecological research collaborators, responsible 

for feeding and cleaning the frogs, as well as providing fungal 

treatments, documenting water quality, specimen growth and 

mortality, and installing and maintaining equipment. At SCCC, 

inmates, working in partnership with The Nature Conservancy 

and U.S. Army, are propagating 200,000 native plants and prairie 

grasses for the Joint Base Ft. Lewis McChord military base, which 

protects the largest remaining portions of the Puget Sound’s 

prairie ecosystems. A new program to rear endangered butterflies 

has begun at a women’s minimum security prison, in collaboration 

with and funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Sustainable Prisons Projects hopes 

to continue building partnerships with other researchers and expand research opportunities for 

inmates. Benefits of these projects go beyond the training inmates receive. Formal evaluation 

reveals that inmates gain a sense of purpose and contribution to society; elevate their sense 

of self-esteem; and carry out more and more positive social interactions with each other and 

with prison staff, all of which are congruent with rehabilitation programs traditionally offered 

in prisons. 

 The DOC has proved to be an innovator in the field of corrections, maximizing the 

To learn more about the Sustainable Prisons Project, go to www.sustainableprisons.org or contact 

Dan Pacholke, Washington State Department of Corrections at djpacholke@DOC1.WA.GOV

om ©Benjamin Drummond / bdsjs.c
18

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

Aligning Sustainable Facilities with 

Sustainable Justice Systems

Sustainable planning and design principles apply at 

scales of development from the urban/community 

scale, to the building itself and to individuals using 

the spaces within. Each of these components 

affects the other. One cannot understand the 

building without reference to the community that 

it supports, or appreciate the building without 

understanding the people that it is intended for. 

Similarly, a LEED certified building that ignores 

the sustainability of its relations to the community 

forgoes holistic understanding of the importance of 

sustainability. The traditional model of a detention/

correctional facility has treated energy, waste, 

and other sustainable issues as low priorities 

compared to the traditional priorities of security, 

staff efficiency, and low operational cost. The end 

of the era of low-cost energy, concerns about waste 

and pollution, and widespread acceptance of direct 

supervision operations housed in more “normative” 

environments create the conditions for a new model 

for facilities based on sustainable principles. The 

emerging definition of a 21st century detention/

correctional facility is a high performance building 

that provides safe, humane environments with low 

energy consumption and little pollution, and whose 

residents produce useful products by means of 

skills gained during their stay in the facility.

 The daily experience of inmates and staff 

“ One cannot understand the building 

without reference to the community that 

it supports, or appreciate the building 

without understanding the people that it 

is intended for.”

The basis of a sustainable approach to justice 

facilities is that the future success of our society 

is as much bound up in the fate of those left in 

the wake of progress as those on its leading edge. 

Facilities designed for the incarcerated should 

be planned and designed with outcomes in mind. 

While materials and treatments will differ from 

mainstream buildings because of budget and 

security, the same care for scale, humane materials, 

healthy environment, and all of the metrics of 

energy efficiency should apply in equal measure.

essociat eene As ciGry Ric ovided b o prPhot
19

Greening of Correctional Facilities

THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 

OF NEW YORK:

Rikers Island GreenHouse Program and the GreenTeam 

Transitional Employment program 

ork al Society of New Y y Horticultur ovided b o prPhot

The Horticultural Society of New York (HSNY) is a 109 

year old not-for-profit organization whose mission is 

to expand New York City’s (NYC) greening efforts and 

to ensure that all New Yorkers enjoy the many benefits 

provided by horticulture. The benefits include: the 

beautification of home and garden to the community 

and environmental enhancement of green space, 

the nutrition of fresh vegetables of urban farms, 

the therapeutic power of cultivating plants, and job 

opportunities of green space maintenance and design.

 HSNY has developed two unique horticultural 

GreenHouse

Started in 1989, the GreenHouse program affords the 

adult population from Rikers Island the opportunity to 

receive horticultural therapy and horticultural vocational 

training. GreenHouse participants cultivate a three-acre 

farm and provide maintenance services for landscaped 

areas around the correctional facility. Funded through 

private foundations and other grants secured by HSNY, 

participants receive 3 to 9 months of curriculumbased training to prepare them for work in the field 

of horticulture, simultaneously building self- esteem, 

strengthening employment skills, and developing a 

greater sense of ethics. Program participants also 

receive therapeutic benefits: with guidance, they 

confront and work on the issues that have negatively 

impacted their lives, and are linked to homelessness, 

addiction, and health and nutrition problems. Participants 

also work on the emotional issues impeding their 

childcare and parenting abilities. 

GreenTeam

Started in 1997, HSNY’s GreenTeam is a unique 

“jail-to-street” program that provides post-incarceration 

transitional paid employment to graduates from the 

GreenHouse program. GreenTeam not only provides 

further training in horticulture, but also helps members 

to develop life skills and job-readiness, and to find 

full-time employment. GreenTeam members work on 

projects throughout NYC, creating gardens and farms 

primarily in collaboration with social service agencies 

whose clients suffer from mental illness, drug abuse, and 

other problems often associated with poverty.

Reduced Recidivism

Utilizing reconviction statistics on more than 500 

program participants dating back over the course of 

eight years provided by the New York State Division of 

Criminal Justice, a recent study showed that individuals 

who graduate successfully from the GreenHouse and 

GreenTeam programs have a much better chance 

of successfully rejoining society. After one year, the 

reconviction rate of GreenHouse and GreenTeam 

graduates was 10 percent, compared to 21.5 percent of 

the general population of the formerly incarcerated in 

New York State, and within three years the rate was 

25 percent for graduates, compared to 47 percent of 

the general population. 
20

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

COMPLETING THE SUSTAINABLE 

MODEL: PREPARING AND 

TRAINING INMATES FOR THE 

GREENING OF THE ECONOMY

tion ehabilita ection and R ornia Dept. of Corr y Calif vided b aph pro ogrPhot
21

Completing the Sustainable Model: Preparing and Training Inmates for the Greening of the Economy

Translating a sustainable model for corrections into action steps that provide 

access to viable training, job opportunities, and career pathways for individuals 

in prisons and jails requires a broad understanding of the definition of the green 

economy, the sectors it spans, and the effects associated activities and technologies 

may have on occupational requirements and programs. From this understanding, 

administrators can start to adapt existing training programs or identify potential 

new green programs that provide the relevant skills, competencies, and credentials 

to inmates and the right strategic partners that support a continuum of learning 

opportunities during a transition to a greener economy.

Understanding Jobs in the Emerging 

Green Economy

There is a strong and increasing commitment in the United States to growing a 

clean energy and energy efficient economy, one that encourages public-private 

investments and promotes policies to foster the development and growth of green 

products, services, technologies, and jobs that will contribute to the US economic 

engine and foster sustainable development. According to a Pew Charitable Trusts 

Report, between 1998 and 2007, jobs and businesses in the clean economy grew 

9.1 percent, compared to overall job growth of 3.7 percent.18 Currently, green jobs 

constitute a small part of the national economy and predicted levels of job growth 

range considerably from 16 million18 to only a slight expansion of the economy. 

Despite the uncertainty of the predictions, green jobs will continue to be an 

important economic and policy focal point, with continued federal investments 

and the expected benefit of the “greening” of all sectors of the economy helping 

to contribute to the long term sustainability of our nation.

 With all the attention to the growing green economy, there is no general 

 “The green economy encompasses the economic activity related to 

 The activities that make up the green economy span most key economic 

“ The activities that make 

up the green economy 

span most key economic 

sectors, which may 

result in the production 

or provision of green 

goods or services 

or making business 

production processes 

more environmentally 

friendly.”
22

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

or are currently in the process of “greening,” by 

incorporating new green practices, inputs or products. 

Currently, the key sectors identified by O*NET include:19

• Renewable Energy Generation

• Energy Efficiency 

• Transportation

• Green Construction 

• Environmental Protection

• Agricultural and Forestry

• Manufacturing

• Recycling and Waste Reduction

Equally important to understanding the green economy 

through an economic lens is the comprehension 

of how green economy activities and technologies 

affect occupations and their skill and competency 

requirements. It is helpful to move beyond simply 

applying a generic “green” label to many jobs, and 

instead more accurately describing it as the “greening 

of occupations.” The greening of occupations lends 

itself to three general categories that describe how 

green economy activities and technologies impact 

the skill sets, methods, and profiles of occupations in 

all sectors of the economy. According to the O*NET 

report, these categories include:

1. Green Increased Demand (ID):

“Green economic activities and technologies will 

increase the employment demand for these positions 

but will not reflect a significant change in the work 

itself or the skills/education required to perform the 

work. While the context of the work might be altered, 

the tasks themselves will basically remain the same.”

Example: An increase in employment opportunities for 

electrical power installers and repairers due to increased 

electrical demand and infrastructure upgrades.

2. Green Enhanced Skills (ES): 

“Green economic activities and technologies will have 

a significant impact on these existing occupations, 

changing both the work and worker requirements. 

While the essential purpose of the occupation will 

remain the same, the tasks, skills and worker knowledge 

and credentials required for the position may change. 

It is unclear whether the changes will cause an increase 

in demand.” 

Example: Biofuels plant construction workers, and green 

building architects.

3. Green New and Emerging (N&E):

“Evolution of green economic activities and technologies 

will create the need for unique work and worker 

requirements, generating new occupations.” 

Example: A Solar Photovoltaic panel installer and 

technician, Energy Auditor, and Methane/Landfill Gas 

Collection System Operators.

The DOL O*NET report estimates that many occupations 

fit into the green enhanced skill occupations category, 

which means that although there will be a growing 

number of new and emerging occupations requiring 

new knowledge, skills, and competencies, the majority 

of jobs in the green economy will be transformed from 

traditional occupations. From a correctional education 

and training perspective, this means that much of 

the traditional education and vocational training 

offerings in prisons-- such as auto body repair and 

mechanics, horticulture, basic construction including 

electrical, carpentry, plumbing, and welding can be 

retooled or updated to reflect green technologies and 

practices. Indeed, according to the ASCA survey, over 

one quarter (27.5 percent) of correctional systems were 

adapting their existing vocational training programs to 

accommodate green practices, while another third 

(30 percent) were both adapting existing programs and 

creating new green education and training programs.15
23

Completing the Sustainable Model: Preparing and Training Inmates for the Greening of the Economy

Promising Greener Employment Opportunities

As sectors become greener in the economy, the most promising employment 

prospects for individuals with criminal records include construction and energy 

efficiency, manufacturing, transportation, natural resources/environmental protection,

and renewable energy. Many of these industries have traditionally been more open 

to hiring individuals with criminal records and are considered promising because 

of their potential job growth, the range of jobs with lower education and training 

requirements, potential earnings for a family sustaining wage and career pathway, 

and fewer legal and other barriers to employment. These findings align well with 

the ASCA survey, which revealed that states that are providing green education and 

training programs in prisons are also targeting sectors that appear most promising 

for individuals with criminal records (see Chart 1).15

Chart 1: Most Frequent Sectors Targeted for Green Correctional 

Vocational Training Programs

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

Renewable 

energy 

generation

Transportation Manufacturing

and alternative 

fuels

Agriculture 

and forestry

Energy 

efficiency-green 

construction and 

buildings

Environmental 

protection

As policies change, investments in research and development increase, and the nation 

recovers from the economic downturn, the greatest potential for job growth among 

these sectors will most likely come from the renewable energy and energy efficiency 

and green construction sectors. Employment in the energy efficiency services sector 

alone is likely to increase by a factor of two to four, accounting for approximately 

1.2 million workers by 2020,21 to meet the increasing demand for energy efficiency 

products and services across the country (see DOE Map 1 on page 25). Sixty-five 

percent of the jobs in the sector in the coming decade are expected to be with 

building and construction contractors and trades and many of these jobs will 

be built on existing occupations and skills such as HVAC technicians, electricians, 

plumbers, lighting contractors, and construction laborers. Workers in this sector 

will need to integrate new skill and competency requirements due to new materials, 

technologies, and work processes.21

“Employment in the 

energy efficiency 

services sector alone 

is likely to increase 

by a factor of two 

to four, accounting 

for approximately 

1.2 million workers 

by 2020.”
24

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

The construction/energy efficiency industry on the 

commercial side has always been more accessible to 

individuals with criminal records, although the jobs 

tend to be temporary, seasonal, and may be in areas 

lacking adequate transportation, a problem for recently 

released prisoners who may have a suspended driver’s 

license or lack access to a car. In addition, if a job is 

connected to a union apprenticeship, there may be 

some barriers because basic requirements of union 

membership typically require a high school diploma 

or GED. Pre-apprenticeship opportunities do not 

have those same constraints and, when coupled with 

basic education and on-the-job training either at the 

correctional facility or in a reentry program, it may serve 

as a good on-ramp to apprenticeship. 

According to the Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS), 

there are a variety of energy efficiency professional 

development programs and exams offered by third 

party and trade associations, including the Building 

Performance Institute (BPI), Residential Energy 

Services Network (RESNET), and the North American 

Technician Excellence (NATE).22 One such certification 

is BPI, which works with local training affiliates across 

the country to offer “certification, accreditation, and a 

quality assurance program” for building performance 

technicians. Worker competencies are certified 

according to training and experience and their ability 

to pass both written and field exams. BPI offers training 

and verifies workers skills for a range of areas including: 

building analyst, building envelope, manufactured 

housing, heating and air conditioning, and several areas 

Defining Green Jobs

Although there is not a clear consensus on a definition of a green job, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 

has recently developed one for data collection purposes to understand the labor market impact of economic 

activity related to protecting the environment and conserving natural resources. The definition is based on 

both an output approach - which looks at businesses that produce green goods and services and counts 

the associated jobs and a process approach - and an input approach which identifies businesses that use 

environmentally friendly production processes and practices and counts the associated jobs.18 BLS offers that 

green jobs are either:

• Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide 

services that benefit the environment or conserve 

natural resources, or 

• Jobs in which workers’ duties involve making 

their establishment’s production processes more 

environmentally friendly or use fewer natural 

resources.20

According to BLS, jobs in businesses that produce green goods and services are “those sold to customers 

and include research and development, installation, and maintenance services,” while jobs in the other 

category are those where workers research, develop, maintain, or use technologies and practices to lessen 

the environmental impact of their establishment, or train the establishment’s workers or contractors in these 

technologies and practices. Green goods and services and technologies and practices fall in the following 

categories: energy from renewable sources, energy efficiency, pollution reduction and removal, greenhouse 

gas reduction, recycling and reuse, natural resource conservation, environmental compliance, education and 

training, and public awareness.

tionsocia tries As orrectional Indus tional C y the Na ovided b e pr o on the right abov Phot
25

Completing the Sustainable Model: Preparing and Training Inmates for the Greening of the Economy

geared toward multifamily buildings such as energy efficiency, hydronic heating 

design and heating plant technicians. It should be noted that some of the certification 

tests may be difficult to pass for individuals with low reading or math skills and these 

certifications do not take the place of trade training and on-the-job work experience. 

DOE Map 1

Energy Efficiency

The renewable energy sector, which includes wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, 

has been the focus of much of the dialogue on green jobs, even though it currently 

represents only a small percentage of overall jobs in the emerging green economy. 

Growth in this sector will be largely due to rising energy prices, advances in 

technology, and continued enactment of federal and state policies and financial 

incentives. When developing renewable energy training programs it is important to 

understand if these jobs currently exist in the labor market to ensure there will be 

employment at reentry. In addition, unlike energy efficiency, some renewable energy 

jobs may be more prominent in certain areas of the country than others, depending 

on regional assets, another important reason to align training programs with labor 

markets (see DOE Map 2 on page 26).

 Many key occupations in the solar industry, such as designing, installing, or 
26

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

DOE Map 2

analyses in two key occupations, solar photo-voltaic (PV) system installers and solar 

thermal installers, which created a professional certification program for journeymen, 

contractors and foremen working in these occupations. NABCEP has also developed 

an entry-level exam for PV systems targeted at workers interested in entering the solar 

industry. These certifications, however, may be difficult to obtain if the person has low 

reading or math skills and/or little work experience, as it recognizes the advanced 

knowledge in the field. NABCEP certification may be something to work towards 

on a career pathway once the academic and hands-on skills training is provided and, 

hopefully, mastered while in prison. 

 Wind, another source of renewable energy, is also promising for job prospects, 

 Electric and natural gas utility companies, which play a critical role in our 
27

Completing the Sustainable Model: Preparing and Training Inmates for the Greening of the Economy

smart grid technology. These jobs are stable, physically demanding, and pay well, 

however, they may be challenging to access since utility companies may have a 

ban on hiring individuals convicted of a felony, depending on state law. The jobs 

for skilled technician positions, like many in high demand fields, require some 

level of postsecondary education that may include pre-apprenticeships, technical 

certificates, or associate degrees and bachelor degrees.25 

 Green economy activities in manufacturing will encompass production 

 In addition, many of the jobs in the green economy today are in natural 

 Although opportunities in the greening economy may exist across all 
28

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

Although there are a range of green jobs at the high, 

middle, and low skill levels, the chart on page 29 

highlights examples of specific jobs that are more likely 

to be accessible and available in the labor market to 

ex-offenders to get them on the pathway to a family 

sustaining wage. This chart neither replaces the need 

to understand region and local labor markets, which 

can be accessed through working with economic 

and workforce development agencies, nor addresses 

the multiple challenges that formerly incarcerated 

individuals may face to be gainfully employed such 

as discrimination.

 Securing stable employment for these 

 Many correctional facilities offer some type 

to the community and 

workplace, than do 

stand alone “life skills” 

classes. Helping prisoners 

connect to causes 

greater than themselves, 

such as animal care 

and environmental 

preservation, may create 

a consistent pattern of 

violence reduction and 

better behavior during incarceration, as seen by the 

Washington State example (see highlight on page 13). 

These experiences not only provide transferable job 

skills, but may also allow for personal development and 

growth opportunities that improve prisoners’ attitudes 

and behaviors toward their communities and create 

cultural change within the facility.

 As correctional facilities begin to prepare 

 Currently, most correctional facilities offer 

ork al Society of New Y y Horticultur ovided b o prPhot
29

Completing the Sustainable Model: Preparing and Training Inmates for the Greening of the Economy

Table 1: Examples of Job Opportunities in the Green Economy28

Sector(s) Occupation 

Title

Most 

significant 

source of 

education or 

training 

Highest 

Educational 

Attainment 

for Majority 

of Jobs

Wages O*NET 

Category

Projected 

Growth 

2008-2018

Projected 

Job 

Openings 

Entry 2008-2018

Level 

Average 

Annual

Recycling and Waste 

Reduction

Production 

Workers

Moderate-term 

on-the-job 

training

HS or Less* 18,790 30,460 N&E Little or No 

Change

70,900

Green Construction / 

Transportation

Industrial Truck 

and Tractor 

Operators

Short-term 

on-the-job 

training

HS or Less 21,800 31,910 ID Slower than 

Average

198,600

Transportation Cargo and 

Freight Agents

Moderate-term 

on-the-job 

training

Equal 

distribution 

between HS or 

less and Some 

College

22,200 37,060 N&E Much 

Faster than 

Average

40,300

Green Construction Electricians Long-term 

on-the-job 

training

Almost equal 

distribution 

between HS or 

Less and Some 

College

27,970 45,980 ID Average 250,900

Green Construction Helpers—

Carpenters 

Short-term 

on-the-job 

training

HS or Less 17,550 26,010 ID Much 

Faster than 

Average

353,000

Green Construction / 

Manufacturing

Welders, 

Cutters, 

Solderers and 

Brazers

Postsecondary 

certification

HS or Less 25,250 37,980 ID Little to No 

Change

126,300

Energy Efficiency / 

Green Construction

Heating 

and Air 

Conditioning 

Mechanics and 

Installers

Postsecondary 

certificate

HS or Less 24,750 39,320 ID/ES Much 

Faster than 

Average

136,200

Renewable Energy 

Generation

Installation, 

maintenance, 

and repair 

workers

Moderate-term 

on-the-job 

training

HS or Less 19,830 32,180 N&E Average 41,800

Energy Efficiency / 

Environment Protection 

/ Manufacturing / 

Renewable Energy 

Generation

Maintenance 

and Repair 

Workers, 

General

Moderate-term 

on-the-job 

training

HS or Less 26,160 40,630 ES Average 357,500

Research, Design, and 

Consulting Services

Customer 

Service

Moderate-term 

on-the-job 

training

Some College, 

Including AA

22,120 32,180 ID Faster than 

Average

1,108,400

SOURCES: O*NET Online Green Economy Sector, available at http://online.onetcenter.org/find/green?n=0&g=Go; 

Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2009 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, National 3-digit NAICS 

Industry-Specific estimates, available at http://www.bls.gov/oes/oes_dl.htm; Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Occupational Tables 1.1 through 1.11, available at http://www.bls.gov/oes/oes_dl.htm; and Greening the World of Work, 

available at http://www.bls.gov/oes/oes_dl.htm.
30

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

noncredit certificates to associates degrees through 

a centralized or a decentralized partnership model.

Community colleges can be an important entry 

point for those inmates with no college education or 

even those lacking a high school diploma and are a 

natural partner for prisons given their commitment 

to open access admission. Correctional facilities are 

encouraged to build partnerships or expand existing 

ones with community colleges, as many new innovative 

strategies have been created that may help inmates 

accelerate into postsecondary education with a 

credential and job within any sector, including green 

ones. These strategies include contextualization and 

integration of basic skills and English language into 

the program’s workforce readiness and technical 

skills training and shorter modules and accelerated 

certificate programs that make it easier and more 

desirable for students to complete quickly and attach 

to the labor market. Given the challenges of low 

completion rates due to inmate transfer between 

prison and work assignments, lack of resources, and 

other factors, these types of models may have greater 

success in putting inmates on a pathway to a good 

job in the green economy.

 Another reason why correctional facilities 

should reach out to community colleges is that many 

are on the forefront of green workforce education and 

sustainability and correctional professionals may be 

able to draw on their vast experience and expertise. 

Colleges may be able to provide valuable information 

to access resources on best practices and strategies, 

link to courses, certificates and degree programs that 

support industry, provide technical instructors and 

innovative teaching methods and curricula, and offer 

technical support in a variety of sectors. One resource 

that highlights examples of green community college 

workforce development programs is Going Green: 

The Vital Role of Community Colleges in Building a 

Sustainable Future and Green Workforce and can be 

found at www.aed.org/News/Releases/going_green.cfm. 

 For correctional facilities interested in forming 

between community colleges and prisons laid out 

several key elements to successfully providing 

correctional education services to inmates. These 

elements included an effective management structure, 

adequate funding, appropriate instruction, and practical 

and creative strategies to address challenges such 

as low completion rates.33 In addition, representatives 

from community college-prison partnerships identified 

in the report stated that other important factors 

for success included willingness to compromise, good 

communication, trust, buy-in from all levels, shared 

leadership, and a flexible framework33 – many of which 

are critical to all strategic partnership endeavors. 

Strategic Partnerships and 

Resources

Strategic partnerships will be critical to the success 

of developing and implementing green employment 

and training programs in correctional facilities and 

partners should include employers, unions, education 

and workforce development systems, community 

colleges and universities, and community-based 

organizations. These partners may be able to provide 

access to funding, equipment for training, instructors 

and curriculum, and an understanding of the state

and local labor markets.

 Strategic partnerships with local and regional 
31

Completing the Sustainable Model: Preparing and Training Inmates for the Greening of the Economy

Developing partnerships with the workforce system 

and local employers is an important strategy because 

it ensures that the training is relevant, meets the needs 

of industry, and allows access to accurate local labor 

market information in the green economy. This is 

particularly important as information on actual jobs in 

the region and the skills and competencies required for 

jobs is still considered a work in progress. The new BLS 

study on green jobs will be very helpful in the future 

as will the results of labor market information activities 

conducted by state and local workforce agencies for 

the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) grants, awarded 

under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 

Working closely with employers, including unions, in 

the area will be an important way to understand their 

hiring needs and plans for growth and expansion to 

supplement labor market information, which is based 

on projections. 

National Weatherization 

Training Portal

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has created The National Weatherization Training Portal (NWTP), 

featuring multi-media, interactive, self-paced training modules. While this training portal will not replace 

the need for formal, hands-on-training, it will enhance or augment the training conducted across the country. 

The NWTP courses cover basic and advanced building sciences and weatherization through a flexible and 

adaptive learning platform. Coursework can be customized to meet the needs of individuals seeking a 

career in the fast-growing weatherization industry and of current professionals from energy auditors to field 

technicians. By advancing through the self-paced NWTP curriculum, students prepare themselves to pursue 

field training and various industry certifications. Courses address building science at all levels, from the role 

of pressure diagnostics in ensuring safe indoor air quality to proper techniques for installing various costeffective, energy-saving measures. Courses provide an individualized learning experience that adapts to 

the needs of each student. Training support can be tailored to weatherization workers at all skill levels and 

positions, including crew member, crew chief, auditor, and trainer. 

 The NWTP uses open-source systems and accessible standards and software (Ilias learning 

The NWTP learning management system provides the following: 

• Web-based system that is easy to use for both students and trainers 

• Adaptive learning system that tracks and tailors courses based on user progress 

• Easy-to-access, online system that creates, stores, and maintains training curriculum 

• Immersive, online training that is cost effective and allows content to be reused 

and repurposed by developers and trainers. 

For more information on the system or to learn more about collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy 

through open source, please contact: NWTP.Webmaster@EE.DOE.GOV
32

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

A good national resource created by DOL is the green jobs community of practice, 

which can be found at https://greenjobs.workforce3one.org/page/home. On this site, 

organizations can access reports, promising practices, and other information that 

may be useful to implementing green jobs training program.

 Many federal agencies, including Departments of Labor, Justice, Education, 

 According to the ASCA survey, many states have begun working closely with 

Institutional Barriers

A number of barriers may exist within correctional facilities when establishing or 

adapting green training and vocational programs, especially ones that hope to 

train inmates in new technologies and practices. According to the results of the 

ASCA survey, one of the biggest barriers (see Chart 2) to implementing green 

programming was the high cost of equipment, reported by over half (57.5 percent) 

of respondents. Another substantial challenge to greening correctional education 

and training programs, reported by 32.5 percent of respondents, was that the 

facilities’ staff lacked the expertise and training to implement these green programs 

and practices. For correctional facilities that utilized partnerships to implement 

such programming, it was difficult to find partners that could adapt their curriculum 

to include green skills and competencies that were applicable to inmates. Another 

third of respondents (32.5 percent) cited current budget constraints as a barrier 

to incorporating green elements into their programs.15 Even with these barriers, 

a majority of the respondents who reported that their facilities are not currently 

adapting or creating green vocational education programs said they planned to 

do so in the near future. 

Chart 2: Barriers to 

Green Jobs Training

 High cost of equipment 

Resistance from 

line staff

 Resistance from 

other staff

 Resistance from inmates

 Resistance based on 

custody level

 Lack of expertise

 Other
33

Completing the Sustainable Model: Preparing and Training Inmates for the Greening of the Economy

Photo provided by RicciGreene Associates

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT 

OF CORRECTIONS

With a $200,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act (ARRA) grant from the federal government, 

Missouri’s Department of Corrections set about updating 

more than twenty career and technical education 

programs in institutions across the state with green 

curricula, equipment, and supplies. In Fiscal Year 2009, 

more than 1,500 offenders across Missouri enrolled in 

“greened” programs including building trades, electrical 

wiring, plumbing, auto, and horticulture. With careful 

attention to facilities’ needs, Missouri has been able 

to implement new, greener programs in facilities at 

every security level, from Level 2 to Level 5. This 

level of customization is crucial to the success of the 

new education programs. “When bringing in a new 

program,” explains Dana Keller, Career and Technical 

Programs Coordinator with the Missouri Department 

of Corrections, “you have to give institutions some say 

so in what’s coming into their facility.”

Customization is equally important in making these 

updated education and training programs work for 

Missouri offenders. By working with special education 

instructors, the certified vocational instructors who 

are bringing the new programs to inmates have been 

able to meet the needs of diverse learners. Offenders 

are expected to demonstrate an eighth grade reading 

level and complete an application process before 

joining the programs. To maximize the impact of federal 

dollars, grant money was used only to update existing 

programs and not to implement brand new programs 

in the state’s facilities. The Department of Corrections 

began implementing its green curricular enhancements 

in February of 2009. Though the Department hasn’t yet 

seen “the full realization of what we’ve done,” according 

to Keller, grant funding has allowed a spate of activities 

in eight facilities for both male and female inmates 

across the state.
34

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

The Department has purchased off-the-shelf curricula 

in areas including carpentry, business, and home 

weatherization. Enrollees in the Professional Gardening 

program at one female facility are trained on xeriscape 

landscaping, or working with drought resistant plants. 

With ARRA funding, the Department of Corrections also 

offers professional development to full time correctional 

staff. Two staff members spent a week training with 

the National Center for Construction Education and 

Research (NCCER) and upon return were able to 

“train the trainers” of the green-enhanced programs. 

Offenders enrolled in the programs are trained on new 

and state of the art equipment, including windows, 

doors, and solar panels in the building weatherization 

program. All of the equipment is purchased with an 

eye towards being “to teach with, not just to have.” The 

Department has plans to purchase and bring to each 

institution an electric car for use in hands-on training. 

But the new green bent to the Department’s education 

and training program is visible in smaller ways too; 

for example, the cosmetology program now uses only 

organic products. The Department intentionally chose 

areas for enhancement that would not only teach 

offenders to be green but also align with workforce 

needs. Developing job trends, and the Department’s 

collaboration with the Missouri Department of Economic 

Development’s Division of Workforce Development, 

was one primary impetus behind the decision to 

implement green-enhanced education and training 

programs. Graduates of the building trades program 

can earn NCCER certification, a boon for many 

inmates who may have entered the program with little 

productive work experience and few marketable skills. 

Of holding a nationally recognized accreditation on 

release, Keller says, “it’s huge.” 

To learn more about Missouri’s green education and training 

programs, go to http://doc.mo.gov/ or contact Dana Keller, 

Career and Technical Programs Coordinator, Missouri 

Department of Corrections, at Dana.Keller@doc.mo.gov.

Photo provided by National Correctional Industries Association
35

Completing the Sustainable Model: Preparing and Training Inmates for the Greening of the Economy

Environmental Literacy

As prisoners begin to train for jobs that require green 

skills and competencies, correctional administrators 

should consider incorporating environmental literacy 

into their vocational and educational programming. 

Environmental literacy helps provide individuals with 

the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to 

think about environmental topics and concerns and 

includes the environment as an important consideration 

in daily life. 

“Being environmentally literate requires basic 

understanding of natural systems, biological 

systems, and social systems and allows workers 

that are preparing for jobs in the green economy 

to understand the context in which they work.”

Currently, over a third of state correctional administrators 

surveyed reported efforts to integrate environmental 

literacy with green education and training programs.34

 To assist correctional facilities with incorporating 

 To evaluate each curriculum, 27 criteria were 

• literacy levels

• intent of the curriculum

• target population

• c ontent relevancy to 

target population

• ins tructional design

• tr aining for instructors 

(or lack of)

• support needed to teach 

the curriculum

• mode of instruction 

(video, textbook)

• cost

• crit eria and methods 

used to measure success 

with target population, 

accessibility, languages 

offered

• ease of use for instructor

• s tudent materials 

and resources

• pricing

• ease of use for students

• pot ential to help an 

incarcerated population 

understand the green 

economy and/or 

green jobs 

After careful review, each curriculum was assessed 

for its value in helping the prison population understand 

and identify employment opportunities in the green 

economy, and each curriculum was recommended in 

terms of relevance and adaptability for the incarcerated 

population.

 Of those reviewed, six of the curricula had the 
36

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies 

The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies environmental 

literacy curriculum is designed to help students 

“understand the connections between water and air 

pollution through the concept of watersheds and 

airsheds, as well as understand the impacts of their 

decisions on human health and biodiversity.” Its goal 

is to help middle and high school students to become 

decision makers in a hypothetical town and county. The 

curriculum uses lesson plans and various activities to 

position students to think about how they would make 

environmentally conscious decisions in a hypothetical 

town. It is downloadable and easily available online by 

the general public. The level of literacy needed for this 

curriculum is moderate and appropriate for students in 

middle and high schools. Overall, this curriculum can 

easily be adapted to the prison population and used 

in the prison setting because of its group involvement, 

interactive nature and potential to involve students in 

the decision-making process. 

Additional information can be found at www.ecostudies.org

Ella Baker Center 

This curriculum was “designed to begin a conversation 

among young people (and interested adults) about 

the rapidly growing green economy, and how it 

can be leveraged to solve two crises in our cities – 

environmental degradation and rampant social 

inequality.” The curriculum explores five key themes 

surrounding the Ella Baker Center’s work-- the green 

economy, eco- equity, eco-privilege, model cities, and 

restorative justice. The content is designed to provide 

information about social justice and the economy. 

Although designed for youth, the curriculum assumes 

very high levels of knowledge about these five themes 

on the part of both the instructor and the students. The 

student activities require very high levels of literacy 

in terms of reading, writing, critical thinking, and 

comprehension. To be useful to youth and adults with 

limited academic proficiency, the instructor would need 

to work in very small groups and lead the students 

through each exercise, including reading the text out 

loud to students at times. This curriculum is notable and 

valuable for the target population because it focuses 

on social and economic inequality in the United States 

and provides the target population with information 

about the green economy and green jobs. Overall, this 

is an excellent resource for instructors to learn from, but 

it would need to be adapted for the prison population 

because the literacy level is very high.

The Ella Baker Centers Green-Collar Jobs Campaign Teaching 

Tools can be found at http://www.ellabakercenter.org under 

“Resources” then “Teaching Tools.”

Facing the Future 

Facing the Future has produced a series of books 

that can be purchased, but are also available in PDF 

format for those willing to spend time downloading 

individual books and documents. The books are 

designed as lesson plans for teachers. There are books 

for elementary, middle, high school and post secondary 

teachers and each is aligned with several state and 

national education standards. The content ranges from 

general discussion of global issues and sustainable 

solutions to a more specific emphasis on climate 

change. The book Engaging Students through Global 

Issues is particularly relevant to the target population. 

These lesson plans help teachers present difficult 

academic concepts to students in grade levels 5-12. 

Engaging Students through Global Issues is designed 

to “help students understand complex global issues 

and sustainable solutions, and offers creative tools for 

them to take action in their local and global community.” 

Overall, this curriculum is notable because the content 

is relevant to our target population, is delivered in an 

interactive and very accessible manner, and focuses 

on economic and social inequality in both a global and 

local context. 

More information is available at www.facingthefuture.org
37

Completing the Sustainable Model: Preparing and Training Inmates for the Greening of the Economy

Green Steps School 

Green Steps School is an environmental education 

initiative and curriculum that encourages individual 

schools (in South Carolina) to take steps towards 

becoming more environmentally responsible. This 

curriculum is designed for school administrators who 

want to empower their students to conserve energy 

and water, reduce waste, and save money through 

environmentally-conscience purchasing and behavioral 

change in their school. It is user friendly, designed for 

a range of academic literacy levels, interactive, and 

focused on putting programs in place to reduce energy 

and water use in the schools. Overall, the curriculum 

and program requires extensive buy in, support, and 

financial resources of top administrators but it could 

be adapted for a prison setting by instructors working 

with the support of prison administrators. 

More information is available at www.greenstepsschools.com

Leave No Trace 

Leave No Trace is produced by the Center for Outdoor 

Ethics. It is designed to increase awareness about the 

importance of protecting parks and recreation areas 

from the problems stemming from heavy human 

use. It focuses on how to camp safely and responsibly, 

carefully pack garbage, and minimize the negative 

impact on the outdoor environment. The curriculum 

focuses on being outdoors in nature and hiking. The 

exercises are designed to accompany a nine minute 

video on responsible outdoor behavior. The video is 

nature oriented, but with an urban population focus; 

visually it is dynamic and fast paced. Although the 

curriculum is designed to be used outdoors, some of 

the exercises can be adapted for indoor use by having 

the students imagine that they are outdoors. Overall, 

a couple of the imaginary exercises might be useful 

but it is not generally relevant to the lives of people 

who are incarcerated. Some of the ideas and exercises 

in this curriculum might be useful to get the prison 

population thinking about the environment. At its best, 

this curriculum could inspire and support the target 

population to explore the natural world and use their 

region’s parks and open spaces upon reentry. 

More information is available at www.lnt.org

Roots of Success 

Roots of Success is designed specifically for youth 

and young adults participating in a green job training 

program. This curriculum is designed for people with 

limited proficiency in English, math, science and/or 

computer skills and, for this reason, is designed to 

“teach environmental literacy while enhancing academic 

literacy and job readiness skills. It is ideally suited 

to support youth and adults being trained for jobs 

and careers in the green economy.” The curriculum is 

divided into six thematic modules, plus an introduction 

and conclusion – water, waste, transportation, energy, 

building and food & agriculture. Each module can be 

taught in four hours. This curriculum is only available 

for purchase and requires instructors to be trained and 

certified. Once trained, it is easy to use. Instructors 

can use as many or as few of the modules as desired. 

Instructors teach the curriculum using a scripted 

Instructors Manual and DVD that includes visuals and 

videos. Each student receives a Student Workbook that 

includes all of the exercises and activities needed for the 

course. Overall, this curriculum is extremely useful for 

the target population especially because it is designed 

to teach environmental literacy while enhancing 

academic literacy and job readiness, focuses on both 

environmental and social issues, and focuses heavily on 

helping students to identify and prepare for green jobs. 

This curriculum is available in both English and Spanish.

More information is available at www.rootsofsuccess.org/qa
38

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

CORRECTIONAL 

INDUSTRIES:

Creating Sustainable Products/Services 

and a Green Workforce
39

Correctional Industries: Creating Sustainable Products/Services and a Green Workforce

Correctional Industries (CI), defined as the work programs in correctional facilities 

that provide real world work experience to inmates, teaching them transferable job 

skills and work ethic to help them prepare for post-release reentry and employment,35

are increasingly becoming part of the growing momentum for action on sustainability 

and green workforce development. Across the country, many CI programs are involved 

in sustainability efforts, ranging from creating core business strategies for sustainable 

production processes and practices, developing new strategic partnerships, producing 

and distributing environmentally-friendly products and services and preparing 

prisoners for the most relevant skills for the emerging green economy. 

The Green CI Landscape

To understand the current landscape of green CI, a survey of members of the National 

Correctional Industries Association (NCIA) was conducted, yielding 25 responses 

representing 19 states. In addition, two focus groups were conducted with 14 NCIA 

members. The survey and focus groups sought to uncover information about: current 

green prison industry work programs, green products, manufacturing processes 

and services being created through environmentally sustainable practices, current 

environmental literacy curricula and training, green skills and competencies acquired 

through work experiences, future plans for greening prison industry programs, and 

internal and external institutional barriers to the adoption of green CI programs. 

 CI programs were motivated to initiate green prison industry programs (see 

Chart 3: Correctional Industries’ Motivations for Going Green

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

 Saving money 

Sate mandate 

or regulations

Creating revenue

 Demand from 

customers

A desire to be 

more eco-friendly

A desire to decrease

the recidivism rate

A desire to provide 

inmates with new and 

sustainable skills

Public relations

number
40

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

Photo provided by National Correction 

Industries Association

Although CI programs 

were motivated to go 

green for a variety 

of reasons, green CI 

programs still involve 

only a small proportion 

of inmates and revenue 

generated. According 

to the survey results, 

the average number of 

inmates engaged in state prison industry programs was 

approximately 1,800 inmates per state, with a majority 

reporting that the total number of inmates engaged in 

their green programs represented 25 percent or fewer 

of inmates involved in CI. More than 70 percent of 

survey respondents reported that, as a percentage of 

the total revenue, only five percent or less was created 

by green industries. Less than a quarter indicated 

that their green programs generated between six and 

10 percent of total revenue, and only one respondent 

stated that green industries generated between 16 and 

20 percent of prison industry revenue. 

Green Strategies, Processes, and Products

The largest prison industries programs, based on 

both number of prisoners involved and the amount of 

revenue generated, were: garments/textiles, furniture/

office systems, farming/agribusiness, license plates, 

highway landscaping, and cleaning supplies/janitorial 

products. Examples of green prison industry programs 

included a bio-mass plant to produce sustainable 

electricity, methane gas that was produced from 

agricultural waste, and solar panel/PV installation and 

production, landscaping and green roofs, shoreline 

restoration, and developing a line of green cleaning 

products. Further, license plate production was 

mentioned as another example of how prison industries 

deployed green strategies; new methods of production 

that end the use of high VOC inks by using a dry ink 

machine and an UVI cured ink, eliminating the need 

for a dry off oven and reducing hazardous waste, and 

utilizing recycled aluminum from steel. Many survey 

respondents also stated that they were making their 

production processes more environmentally friendly 

or using fewer natural resources. These efforts 

included: utilizing recycled materials in office systems 

manufacturing, refurbishing old office furniture, metal 

fabrication, windmills, and playground equipment. 

Product Certification

Two-thirds of survey respondents reported either having 

products or programs certified by entities such as Green 

Seal or GREENGUARD or pursuing these certifications. 

Respondents indicated, however, that the variation 

in certification requirements is a source of confusion 

for their prison industries and the costs of certification 

could be a barrier. One survey respondent stated: 

“We offer products with components that are certified 

by suppliers, e. g. 100 percent postconsumer fabric. 

‘Green certified’ is not a fixed standard, and there are 

literally dozens of organizations offering certifications 

of different kinds. It all depends on the clients’ needs 

what certification is desired.” 

Internal and External Partnerships 

Many focus group participants spoke of the importance 

of partnerships with their vendors to their green 

efforts. For many participants, the vendors facilitated 

the certification process for green products and 

played a key role for the prison industries in providing 

information about specific green industries. One focus 

group participant spoke highly of his facility’s vendor 

for solar panels, whose “knowledge of the industry 

was critical for us to understand how the whole supply 

chain works.” Just under a third of survey respondents 

(28.6%) indicated having key strategic partnerships for 

launching and sustaining their green industry efforts. 

Skill Development

Focus group participants talked about the importance 

of preparing inmates for entry-level green jobs, but 

few elaborated on the connection between their prison 

industries and preparation for green jobs on the outside 

of prison. Several participants stated that the job 

skills gained in green industries are the same as those 

gained in other industries, with the added benefit of 

the development of an awareness of environmentally 

sustainable processes. Only 10 percent of survey 

respondents indicated that their green efforts were 

linked to the educational or vocational programming 

in their facilities.15
41

Correctional Industries: Creating Sustainable Products/Services and a Green Workforce

UNICOR/Federal Prison Industries (FPI)

Correctional industries programs can play a significant 

role in supporting green corrections. They support 

their government agency customer base through a 

supply chain focus on green purchases of goods and 

services. Executive Orders 13423 and 13514 set goals 

for the Federal Government in energy efficiency, 

renewable energy, toxic reductions, and recycling. To 

help Federal Government agencies meet these goals, 

Federal Prison Industries (FPI) has adopted green 

manufacturing processes in its various products sold 

to the federal government.

 FPI is a wholly-owned government corporation 

Several FPI business group green efforts include:

• Many FPI Office Furniture Group (OFG) products 

are not only fully compliant with the standards of 

the U.S. Green Building Council’s GREENGUARD 

Certification, but they also comply with the 

Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s 

Association low emitting furniture standards. 

Fabrics used in OFG furniture comprise up to 

100 percent recycled fiber content, and all foam 

cushioning used in OFG seating is 100 percent 

recyclable. All finishes and glues are water based 

and environmentally safe. 

• FPI provides a complete range of fleet 

modernization programs to the Federal 

Government. Through a reclamation and rebuilding 

program, FPI saves customers up to 60 percent of 

their procurement dollars, as compared to the cost 

of buying new equipment.

• FPI’s Industrial Products Group (IPG) employs a 

number of environmentally sound processes, such 

as using only powder coated paint finishes. Along 

with being non-toxic, excess powder coated paint 

can be retrieved and used again. IPG also practices 

environmentally sound processes to produce decals 

and screen printed emblems, and uses inks that are 

chemically inert. 

• In the FPI Services Business Group (SBG), inmates 

working in FPI’s data program convert tens of 

thousands of pages of documents to electronic 

format each day, providing government agencies 

a cost effective and environmentally sound way to 

capture and retrieve valuable data. SBG print shops 

use only environmentally safe inks. Last year, SBG 

printing and bindery operations returned over 650 

tons of waste to the paper market for the production 

of new products.

• FPI’s Recycling Business Group processes millions 

of pounds of obsolete and excess computers 

and electronic equipment annually from both 

the public and private sectors. This action saves 

precious landfill space, energy, and resources, by 

reusing residual materials in lieu of mining virgin 

commodities. If an item cannot be re-used, it is 

broken down into recyclable component parts. 

• Recently, FPI began manufacturing operations to 

provide solar panels to the Federal government. 

Providing this technology to federal agencies will 

enable them to become more environmentally 

sound and energy efficient to meet their goals.

• FPI has embraced the importance of “Greening” 

as an organizational goal as well. FPI’s FY 2011 

Strategic Plan includes the following objective: 

Promote environmental and occupational health 

stewardship by operating the corporation in a 

compliant, environmental friendly and sustainable 

manner. 

• One strategy to meet this objective is for FPI to 

emphasize current efforts and increase focus 

on “green” products, product sustainablity, 

and recycled content. However, FPI will not just 

promote greening through its products. Inmates 

who learn how to care for the environment by 

working in FPI will take that knowledge with them 

when they return to society. 

OR y UNIC ovided b o prPhot
42

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

WISCONSIN BUREAU OF 

CORRECTIONAL ENTERPRISES

Wisconsin’s Bureau of Correctional Enterprises (BCE) offers vocational training and work skills development to 

inmates in the state’s correctional facilities. Three Wisconsin facilities have produced seating and systems furniture 

that meet standards for GREENGUARD indoor quality certification. The GREENGUARD certification is a complex 

process requiring that component parts, supplied by an outside manufacturer, meet standards of sustainable 

practice. BCE’s investment in the licensing fee and painstaking inspections process for GREENGUARD certification 

has paid off with the Bureau’s primary customer base. End consumers of these Correctional Enterprises products 

can use their GREENGUARD-certified furniture in pursuit of LEED certification for the building overall. In fact, 

the University of Wisconsin, BCE’s primary consumer, has mandated that all furniture purchased by the university 

system be GREENGUARD-certified by 2010.

 Response to this consumer demand was a crucial motivator for Wisconsin’s Bureau of Correctional 

To learn more about Wisconsin’s initiatives to green Correctional Enterprises, see http://www.buybsi.com or 

contact Robert Smith, Wisconsin Badger State Enterprises Furniture Superintendent, at Robert.Smith@Wisconsin.gov

ebsite ections w orr isconsin Department of C om the W o frPhot
43

Correctional Industries: Creating Sustainable Products/Services and a Green Workforce

Barriers to “Going Green”

There were multiple barriers identified by CI programs for going green (see chart 4), 

according to survey and focus group participants. These barriers included high 

costs of certifications of green products and the high price of finished green 

products. Similarly to the results of the ASCA survey, CI respondents stated that 

lack of expertise and high costs of equipment are barriers to the development 

and implementation of green industries in their facilities. Despite the barriers, over 

three-fourths of survey respondents (76.2 percent) and a majority of focus group 

participants indicated that they were interested in pursuing strategies that would 

result in green manufacturing processes and products. 

 Some of the CI leaders that had embarked on sustainability practices put 

 One survey respondent’s recommendation was: “Concentrate on meaningful, 

“...CI respondents 

stated that lack of 

expertise and high 

costs of equipment 

are barriers to the 

development and 

implementation 

of green industries 

in their facilities.”

Chart 4: Barriers to Going Green

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

 High cost of equipment 

High cost of 

certifications 

 Resistance from 

line staff

 Resistance from 

other staff

 Resistance from 

inmates

 Lack of expertise

number
44

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

GREEN REENTRY 

PROGRAMS
45

Green Reentry Programs

Each year, approximately 700,000 people are 

released from state and federal prisons, returning 

to communities across the nation.36 An even greater 

number re-enter society from local jails, an event that, 

for some individuals, may occur multiple times in one 

year.36 Most people released from correctional facilities 

face multiple barriers to successful reentry including 

employment, substance abuse, housing, mental health 

and health related issues. Successful reentry requires 

strong community support networks and comprehensive 

services, particularly because the level of services needed 

cannot be provided through prison or jail terms due to 

resource constraints and other issues. 

 Finding and maintaining a job is a critical 

dimension for successful reentry and many programs 

across the country are beginning to look at the 

potential of the green economy to understand how it 

relates to individuals who have low levels of education, 

limited work experience and vocational skills, and 

face a general reluctance by employers to hire people 

with convictions. Many programs are reconfiguring 

their programs to integrate new green skills and 

competencies or creating new programs driven by 

an increased demand for green goods and services 

in the marketplace. Formerly incarcerated individuals 

are gaining skills and being trained for a range 

of jobs including recycling, brownfields remediation, 

landscaping, energy efficiency retrofitting, and 

deconstruction to stem the high rates of recividism. 

Three such programs are highlighted.

Safer Foundation

Chicago, IL 

The Safer Foundation (Safer) works to reduce recidivism in 

communities in Illinois and Iowa. Combining job training and 

preparation, education, and support services, such as housing 

and substance abuse treatment, Safer boasts a recidivism rate 

of just 13 percent for clients, compared to 52 percent for the state 

of Illinois. Job training and preparation are critical elements to Safer’s strategy and green jobs training 

is becoming increasingly important part of their programming. Safer has developed two programs to 

prepare individuals for green jobs: Deconstruction Work Services and Urban Landscaping. 

Deconstruction Work Services spins standard construction training and work on its head. Safer clients 

learn how to take apart a building, rather than construct or renovate a building. Deconstruction is the 

“controlled demolition of condemned buildings” and is becoming increasingly popular as people see 

the financial and environmental benefits of reusing building materials. For Safer, The ReUse Institute 

provides basic deconstruction training to clients. Other partner organizations provide hazardous 

waste and OSHA training, a standard requirement for entry-level construction jobs. Clients then 

practice their newly acquired deconstruction skills on real buildings. The Delta Institute, a partner 

organization, operates a store selling the reused building materials. Clients work in the store and learn 

about retail operations and customer service, increasing their marketability when job searching and 

interviewing. Through these trainings and on-the-job experiences clients are ready for construction 

jobs, which are traditionally accessible to people with criminal records. 

tion ounda er Fy Saf ovided b o prPhot
46

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

Safer, in partnership with the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance (GPCA) and Christy Weber 

Landscapes (CWL), also operates an Urban Landscaping Project. Funded through the City of 

Chicago’s Department of Environment, the initiative allows Safer clients to landscape and enhance 

vacant parcels and establish community and indoor agricultural gardens in their own neighborhoods. 

Clients working on this project are part of the Safer Return demonstration project and become 

invested in their own neighborhoods for successful reentry. Projects directly align with the goals 

of the Chicago Climate Action Plan and two green industry areas—Sustainable Landscaping/Local 

Agriculture and Community Horticulture. Over time, Safer believes clients will become reinvested 

in their communities and prepared for green jobs.

Civic Works

Baltimore, MD 

Founded in 1993 and located in Baltimore, Maryland, Civic Works functions as the city’s urban service 

corps and AmeriCorps program. In 2001, Civic Works began their Green Career Pathways project, 

including the B’More Green Brownfields mitigation program, EnergyReady cool roof and energy 

efficiency program, and the newest B’More Green Energy Efficiency Retrofit program. The B’More 

Green Brownfields job training program connects unemployed, underemployed and previously 

incarcerated Baltimore residents with jobs created as a result of brownfields redevelopment and 

environmental clean-up projects. Trainees receive 7 industry recognized environmental health and 

safety certifications. Since 2003, the program has graduated 16 classes.

EnergyReady, launched at the end of 2008, is a full-service home performance social enterprise 

that builds upon Civic Works’ extensive experience in residential construction and sustainability. 

EnergyReady has a 3-year, $1.4 million weatherization contract with the City of Baltimore, performing 

energy efficiency retrofits in low-income communities with grants from Community Development 

Block Grant (CDBG) and the Maryland Energy Administration. EnergyReady also competes for home 

performance contracts in the private market.

In 2010, Civic Works started the B’More Green Energy 

Efficiency Retrofit Program, an energy retrofit crew 

comprised of trainees. Trainees will complete one 

month of classroom training, including the DOE 

Weatherization Worker certification, the OSHA 10-hour 

Construction Safety Certification, and the EPA Lead 

Renovator certification. The classroom training will 
47

Green Reentry Programs

also include basic job readiness training and extensive hands-on training in a DOE approved work 

simulation lab. After completing the training, participants will receive two months of paid on-the-job 

training while working on real contracts with the EnergyReady social enterprise.

Vermont Works for Women

Winooski, VT 

Vermont Works for Women (VWW) works to address the needs of 

economically vulnerable women and girls living in Vermont to earn 

a livable wage and to succeed in employment, including women 

incarcerated in Vermont’s women’s correctional facility. VWW 

programs enroll over 900 women and girls a year, most of whom, if 

not incarcerated at the time of enrollment, have previously been so. 

VWW offers support services through several programs: mentoring, 

job training while incarcerated, pre-release employment support, 

post-release transitional jobs, social venture on-the-job training, and, 

currently in development, a transitional housing unit. VWW’s green 

jobs training program includes the Modular Home Building Program, 

an in-prison program with a green building curriculum, where 

incarcerated women build Energy Star modular homes inside of 

Vermont’s Women’s Correctional Facility. The program offers year-round job training for participants 

in finish and frame carpentry, electrical wiring, plumbing, weatherization and roofing. Through the 

process of building modular homes, women receive skill-based training in green carpentry that 

is transferable to the workplace outside of prison. The program has seen promising success: of 

participants released from prison and eligible to work, 75 percent found employment and 76 percent 

were able to retain that work. The program as a whole boasts a 19 percent recidivism rate (compared 

with 51 percent for the general female incarcerated population.) 

In October 2009, in partnership with a private sector manufacturer and contractor, VWW launched 

a solar tracker installation and weatherization social venture called FRESH, that employs people with 

criminal histories in transitional jobs. The program provides year-round training in these emerging 

green fields, while offering the social service support needed for successful re-entry into society and, 

ultimately, the unsubsidized workforce. 

omen or W orks f ermont W y V ovided b o prPhot
48

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 

GREENING PRISONS AND JAILS

The development and implementation of a comprehensive sustainability 

strategy for correctional facilities may seem like a daunting task at first, but 

the path to sustainability is not only technically feasible, but can also save the 

institution substantial amounts of money, contribute to society and, at the 

same time, prepare and train prisoners with relevant skills and competencies 

in the emerging green economy. To that end, the following are a set of 

recommendations based on the experiences and suggestions from early 

adopters and innovators in the field.

RECOMMENDATION 1: Create a Sustainability Work Group

Create a local multi-disciplinary sustainability team. Include plant maintenance, budget, 

vocational and education programming, and unit and custody staff. 

Charge the team with developing strategies to manage performance expectations and look for 

ways to incorporate sustainability into budget reduction strategies and offender training and 

employment programs. 

Find people with passion around the issues of the environment and environmental stewardship.

Collaboratively develop a green strategic plan or green paper that is agency specific.

RECOMMENDATION 2: Hold a Retreat for Your Executive Team

Provide participants an overview of sustainable practices in prisons. 

Ask for their ideas and opinions to get buy-in. 

Involve local experts and possible strategic partners where they exist. 

Clearly lay out the rationale for embarking on these practices and develop a smart business 

strategy that assists in reducing costs, employing offenders, and engaging community partners.
49

Recommendations for Greening Prisons and Jails

RECOMMENDATION 3: Implement Budget Savings Strategies 

& Offender Employment Opportunities

Mine your waste: Recycling, garbage sorting centers, and composting will reduce operating 

costs and employ offenders. Dumpster dive and discover what you purchase that you simply 

throw away. 

Support Local Partnerships: Restore used bicycles for community organizations, grow starter 

plants for Kiwanis clubs, start gardens to both off-set food costs and provide produce to local 

food shelters. 

Implement Transportation Demand Management: Reduce fleet size, use electric, hybrid, 

or flex-fuel vehicles, switch to biofuels, buy locally, and promote carpooling between staff 

members.

Cell Dog Programs: Partner with local dog shelters. This initiative will reduce violence in 

prisons while also teaching skills like empathy, compassion, responsibility, and saving animals. 

Look for Scientific Projects: Partner with local liberal arts colleges and/or 

military bases. Many military bases are beginning to restore biodiversity within their 

compounds. 

Utilize Local and Regional Expertise and Resources: Partner with organizations such as 

community colleges, employers, and the public workforce system for green training - their 

expertise may bring you access to resources such as best practices, technical support, 

curricula, and other important information and services.

Work With Anything Alive: bee hives, vermicomposting, dogs, cats, etc.; it builds character, 

morale, and empathy for prisoners and provides opportunities for personal development. 

Offender e-mail: Use email instead of regular mail – it improves staff safety, reduces workload 

and reduces the amount of paper used and in cells.

RECOMMENDATION 4: Performance Management: Inspect 

What You Expect

Establish a performance management system within your facility or agency. There are many 

systems out there in use in different jurisdictions, so simply pick a model.

Once a system is adopted, establish baseline data in sustainable categories such as energy 

(gasoline, diesel, electric, natural gas), solid waste, recycling, water use, gardening and other 

innovation programs. 

Publish the data on a monthly or quarterly basis and require program managers or wardens 

to respond on how they are trying to meet performance targets.

Consistent use of the targets over time will change behavior; it is a powerful tool.
50

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

CONCLUSION:

The Sustainable Correctional/Detention 

Facility of the Future

amauyo Kik y Mikik o bPhot
51

Conclusion: The Sustainable Correctional/Detention Facility of the Future

As executives and staff in the corrections field plan to create more efficient, 

resilient, and sustainable correctional/detention facilities, it may be useful to 

begin with a vision of the sustainable jail or prison of the future. The jail or prison 

of the future would most likely look quite different from each other, both literally 

and figuratively, with certain common transformational elements and commitments. 

 The jail or detention facility would likely be urban, vertical, and part of a 

 The opportunity to use sustainable features to define the image of the 

 Using the buildings themselves to define the secure perimeter eliminates 

 While the operations of a jail and a prison are markedly different, they 

ections orr te Department of C taon S ashingt y W ovided b o prPhot
52

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

education and training activities like gardening and 

recycling, construction, and manufacturing. Classes 

focused on GED or basic skills training can integrate 

environmental concepts as they provide contextualized 

learning to inmates.

 What both types of facilities have historically 

“Personal responsibility is necessary to reduce 

consumption of water and other waste—an 

important lesson for inmates to apply once they 

leave the prison system.”

The notion of linking green or sustainable activities 

to the operational program of these secure facilities 

has great resonance with traditions of farming, craft 

activities, and the like that were abandoned in many 

cases during the period of great growth in prison 

populations at the end of the 20th century. 

 Linking a sustainable conception of the facility 

individuals at once vulnerable and dangerous makes 

a holistic approach so important.

A green jail/prison of the future could take the 

following integrated approach: 

The Direct Supervision environment within the facility 

is calm and secure, with staff and detainees/inmates 

safe from threat of harm, in spaces that are quiet, clean, 

full of daylight, and with ample access to meaningful 

activities. Services (counseling, meals, recreation, 

visiting, medical, programs) occur directly adjacent to 

the housing unit, so staff escort is only required when 

detainees/inmates leave the facility. The introduction 

of daylight into all occupied spaces, often with views 

to nature, is key to saving lighting costs, creating a 

humane environment that can reduce aggressiveness 

for both staff and detainee/inmate, and, when properly 

planned, providing passive heating in winter. 

 Planning for successful reentry to society, 

 Connected to those interventions is utilizing 
Conclusion: The Sustainable Correctional/Detention Facility of the Future

experience. These work experiences will be taught in 

conjunction with environmental literacy so prisoners 

can understand the context in which they work and 

connect to a cause greater than themselves. 

The notion of greening corrections is holistic and 

inclusive of traditional building oriented sustainable 

techniques as well as embracing the social dimension. 

The goal of “correction” of deviant behavior is at 

the foundation of our justice system since its inception 

in the 19th century, and in spite of the “tough on 

crime” naysayers, great strides have been made in 

evidence-based techniques to intervene and produce 

positive outcomes. The green principles of zero waste, 

renewal, and recycling and the practices of sustainable 

hands-on work experience and green education and 

training programs are completely in sync with these 

traditions. The facilities now in development have 

the opportunity to demonstrate that the jail/prison 

can contribute to the health and sustainability of the 

communities and the people they serve.

53

tionsocia tries As orrectional Indus tional C y Na ovided b o prPhot
54

The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

Appendix A: List of Resources

National Green Organizations

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

This national organization provides economic data, research findings, and policy recommendations 

on energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate change, and environmental issues.

www.aceee.org

American Public Power Association (APPA)

APPA offers a summary of Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs), a financing mechanism 

available through the Internal Revenue Service for public-sector renewable energy installations.

www.appanet.org/files/PDFs/CREB.pdf

American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)

The American Wind Energy Association is a trade and advocacy organization that represents the 

U.S. wind energy industry and individuals who support clean energy.

www.awea.org

Apollo Alliance

The Apollo Alliance is a coalition of business, labor, environmental, and community leaders working 

to catalyze a clean energy revolution in America to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, 

cut the carbon emissions that are destabilizing our climate, and expand opportunities for American 

businesses and workers.

www.apolloalliance.org

Blue Green Alliance

Launched in 2006, the Blue Green Alliance is a strategic initiative led by the United Steelworkers 

and partners. The alliance focuses on three key issues: global warming and clean energy; fair trade; 

and reducing toxics.

www.bluegreenalliance.org

Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS)

COWS is a national policy center and field laboratory for high-road economic development—a 

competitive market economy of shared prosperity, environmental sustainability, and capable 

democratic government.

www.cows.org

The Corps Network

The Corps Network is the voice of the nation’s 136 Service and Conservation Corps. Currently 

operating in 42 states and District of Columbia, the Corps annual enrolls more than 26,000 young 

men and women in service. Service and Conservation Corps provide a wealth of conservation, 

infrastructure improvement, and human service projects.

www.corpsnetwork.org
55

Appendices

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)

DSIRE provides comprehensive information on renewable energy and energy-efficiency incentives 

available through federal, state and local government, and public utilities.

www.dsireusa.org

Green Buildings Online LLC

Green Building is an education and training organization preparing individuals and organizations 

for LEED Certification, and provides expert advice about training, green products and topics 

related to commercial green buildings.

www.green-buildings.com

Green for All 

Green for All is a national organization dedicated to building an inclusive green economy 

strong enough to lift people out of poverty. Green for All advocates for local, state, and federal 

commitment to jobs creation, job training, and entrepreneurial opportunities in the emerging 

green economy—especially for people from disadvantaged communities – to fight both poverty 

and pollution.

www.greenforall.org

GreenPrisons.org

GreenPrisons.org is the online source for what’s happening in environmentally responsible, 

corrections-related, programs and services. GreenPrisons invites agency administrators to share 

their green projects with the rest of the profession so that we can all learn from your successes 

as well as some of your challenges

www.greenprisons.org

Interstate Renewable Energy Council (REC)

IREC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding the adoption and use of renewable energy 

sources and technologies. Its workforce development initiates include efforts to create competency 

and certification standards for renewable energy professionals and training programs.

www.irecusa.org

North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP)

The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP provides photovoltaic 

and solar thermal installation certification. Designed to raise industry standards and promote 

consumer confidence, NABCEP offers certification and certificate programs to renewable energy 

professionals throughout North America.

www.nabcep.org

Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (PETE)

PETE’s mission is to provide leadership in environmental technology training and education at 

community and technical colleges. It offers model curricula and other instructional resources.

www.ateec.org/pete
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The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

Pew Center on Global Climate Change

The Pew Center on Global Climate change brings together business leaders, policymakers, 

scientists, and other experts to ring a new approach to a complex and often controversial issue. 

Pew’s approach is based on sound science, straight talk, and a belief that we can work together 

to protect the climate while sustaining economic growth.

www.pewclimate.org

Sustainability Education and Economic Development (SEED) Center

The SEED Center is a leadership initiative and resource center created by the American Association 

of Community Colleges and ecoAmerica that will provide strategic guidance and detailed resources 

for community colleges to dramatically ramp-up their programs to educate America’s 21st century 

workforce.

http://www.theseedcenter.org

U.S. Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a nonprofit community of leaders working to make 

green buildings available to everyone within a generation. The USGBC developed and houses the 

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification programs.

www.usgbc.org
57

Appendices

Government Resources 

U.S. Department of Education

The 2009 report from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education 

(OVAE) identifies partnerships between community colleges and prisons and identifies the 

partnership process and effective practices. 

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/prison-cc-partnerships_2009.pdf

U.S. Department of Energy

The Department of Energy has numerous programs and resources that can be helpful in the 

greening of corrections. Some of these include:

Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey 

The Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey, operated by the U.S. Energy Information 

Administration, is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. 

commercial buildings, their energy-related building characteristics, and their energy consumption 

and expenditures.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is the only federal laboratory dedicated to the 

research, development, commercialization and deployment of renewable energy and energy 

efficiency technologies.

www.nrel.gov

National Weatherization Training Portal

The National Weatherization Training Portal, housed in the Department of Energy, features 

multi-media, interactive, self-paced training modules. While this training portal will not replace 

the need for formal, hands-on-training, it will enhance or augment the training conducted 

across the country.

https://trainingportal.ee.doe.gov

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

EERE sponsors various initiatives to build awareness about energy efficiency and renewable 

energy topics and to coordinate efforts toward specific goals. 

www.eere.energy.gov

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

ENERGY STAR is a join program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. 

Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy 

efficient products and practices.

www.energystar.gov
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The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

U.S. Department of Justice

The National Institute of Corrections, under the Bureau of Prisons in the U.S. Department of Justice, 

provides training, technical assistance, information services, and policy/program development 

assistance to federal, state, and local corrections agencies. 

www.nicic.gov

U.S Department of Labor

The Department of Labor provides resources that can help correctional facility staff assess the 

labor market and develop appropriate job training programs. Some of these resources include:

Bureau of Labor Statistics 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has recently developed and implemented the collection of new 

data on green jobs with the goals of developing information on 1) the number of and trend over 

time in green jobs, 2) the industrial, occupational, and geographic distribution of the jobs, and 

3) the wages of workers in these jobs.

www.bls.gov/green

Employment and Training Administration 

The Employment and Training Administration administers federal government job training and 

worker dislocation programs, federal grants to states for public employment service programs , 

and unemployment insurance benefits.

www.doleta.gov 

Green Jobs: Building Pathways for a Green Workforce 

The Green Jobs website is a community of practice developed by the Department of Labor and 

serves as a platform for workforce professionals and green job thought leaders to discuss and 

share promising practices to create partnerships for Green Job Workforce Solutions.

https://greenjobs.workforce3one.org/page/home

O*NET OnLine 

O*Net OnLine, operated by the U.S. Department of Labor, has detailed descriptions of the 

world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students, 

and researchers.

www.online.onetcenter.org

General Services Administration

The General Services Administration (GSA) uses expertise to provide innovative solutions for 

customers in support of their missions and by so doing foster an effective, sustainable, and 

transparent government for the American people. GSA provides a variety of procurement solutions 

for federal agencies.

www.gsa.gov
59

Appendices

Appendix B: The Current Landscape of Green Corrections

John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Prisoner Reentry Institute assessed and analyzed the current 

landscape of environmental awareness and green education training programs in the correctional 

field through surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews. The members of the Association of 

State Correctional Administrators (ASCA) and the National Correctional Industries Association 

(NCIA) were asked to participate in electronic surveys and a convenience sample of NCIA members 

participated in two focus groups during the organization’s annual meeting.

Green Educational And Vocational Training Programs: A Survey Of ASCA Members responding 

to ASCA Survey

The survey of members of the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA) yielded 

49 responses representing 34 states. The survey was designed to identify existing and/or new 

green educational and vocational training opportunities in correctional settings, as well as to 

develop an understanding of the ways in which environmental literacy is integrated into existing 

curricula. Survey respondents were also asked about the availability of certificate or credentialing 

opportunities for green-related skills in their facilities, and any existing partnerships utilized to 

facilitate these programs. Survey questions also sought to uncover both the motivations for 

integrating green practices into correctional education and training programs, and the internal 

and external barriers to doing so, as perceived by the administrators.

States responding to ASCA Survey:

Alabama

Kansas

North Dakota

Alaska

Kentucky

Ohio

Arizona

Louisiana

Oklahoma

California

Maryland

Pennsylvania

Colorado

Minnesota

Rhode Island

Connecticut

Missouri

Tennessee

Delaware

Montana

Texas

Florida

Nebraska

Virginia

Georgia

Nevada

Washington

Idaho

New Jersey

Wisconsin

Indiana

New Mexico

Wyoming

New York

Green Prison Industries: A survey of and focus groups of NCIA

The survey of members of the National Correctional Industries Association (NCIA) yielded 35 

responses representing 19 states. Additionally, two focus groups were conducted with a total of 14 

NCIA members at their annual conference. Focus group participants represented states including: 

Alabama, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, 

Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia. The survey and focus groups sought to uncover 

information about: current green prison industry work programs; green products, manufacturing 

processes, and services being created through environmentally sustainable practices; current 

environmental literacy curricula and training; green skills and competencies acquired through 

work experiences; future plans for greening prison industry programs; and internal and external 

institutional barriers to the adoption of green industry programs. 

States responding to NCIA Survey:

Arkansas

Nevada

Arizona

New Mexico

Colorado

Ohio

Connecticut

Oklahoma

Florida

Rhode Island

Hawaii

Texas

Indiana

Virginia

Maine

Washington DC

Mississippi 

Wisconsin

North Carolina
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The Greening of Corrections: Creating a Sustainable System

Endnotes

1. Spreckley, Freer. (1980) Social Audit - A Management Tool for Co-operative Working.

2. Elkington, John. (1998) Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business 

(The Conscientious Commerce Series) Stony Creek, CT: New Society Publishers.

3. Green Buildings. (2008) LEED vs. Energy Star. Available at http://www.green-buildings.com/content/78308-

leed-vs-energy-star

4. U.S. Green Building Council. (2010). What is LEED?, available at http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.

aspx?CMSPageID=222

5. U.S. Green Building Council. (2009) LEED Reference Guide for Green Building and Design.

6. National Governors Association. (2010) Lead By Example: Building Efficiency, available at http://www.nga.

org/Files/pdf/1008CLEANENERGYLBEBUILDING.PDF

7. FPL Energy Services. (July 2010) Case Study: Florida Department of Corrections Saves $900,000, available 

at http://yestoamendment4.com/downloads/FPLES_FL_DOC_Case_Study.pdf

8. South Carolina Department of Corrections. (2010) Agency Accountability Report: Fiscal Year 2008-2009, 

available at http://www.doc.sc.gov/research/SCDCAccountabilityReportFY2009.pdf

9. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (July 2003) Energy Star—The Power to Protection the Environment 

Through Energy Efficiency, available at http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/downloads/energy_star_

report_aug_2003.pdf.

10. U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2007) Independent Statistics and Analysis. Commercial Buildings 

Energy Consumption Survey, available at http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/

11. LEED User. (2010) EBOM 2009 EAp2: Minimum Energy Efficiency Performance available at http://www.

leeduser.com/credit/EBOM-2009/EAp2

12. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (October 2009) Bridgewater, Mass. Correctional Facility Earns Energy 

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22. SEED Center. How Are the Resources Organized?, available at http://theseedcenter.org/Resources/

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2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply, available at http://www1.eere.energy.

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33. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education. Partnerships Between Community 

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36. Sabol, William, J. and others, Prisoners in 2008 (Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2009) 

available at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/p08.pdf
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