Bringing sustainability & nature
into prison environments
We empower sustainable change by bringing nature, science, and environmental education into prisons.
A partnership between the Washington State Department of
Corrections & The Evergreen State College
MISSION STATEMENT
The Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) brings together incarcerated individuals, scientists, educators, and community partners to advance environmental sustainability, conservation, and education within correctional facilities—benefiting people, ecosystems, and communities.
Participants engaged across Washington State prisons
Lower recidivism rate compared to the general DOC population
Fresh produce grown for prison kitchens
Fresh produce grown for prison kitchens
SPP Partners and Allies (Partnering with WA Corrections, Evergreen, or both)
“What does science mean to me? Science is the study of the world around us… I would not want to experience life without science.”
Morris Talaga
Program Participant
Stories & Reflections
We design and deliver hands-on programs that connect environmental education.
“I never did well in school and my skills were more on the manual labor side. While I was incarcerated at Cedar Creek Correction Center in 2015 thru…
Darin Armstrong
Former SPP conservation technician
Insights and Media Room
WASBA’s Annual Beekeeping Facility of the Year Winner 2024: Washington Correctional Center for Women
The beekeepers set up educational tables for attendees to learn about all aspects of beekeeping, complete with opportunities to view,…
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New! Summer 2023: SPP’s newest program, Avian Acoustic Monitoring, is featured on BirdNote’s June 21, 2023 episode.
Read Post
Dr. Carri LeRoy, SPP’s Director for Evergreen, was published in Science, one of the best-regarded journals in the world!
Read Post
TED (Technology, Education and Design), a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, featured our co-founder Dan Pacholke’s talk on the future of prisons.
Read Post
Together, We Reimagine
What’s Possible
Sustainability Thrives On Community. Be Part Of A Unique Collaboration That Bridges
Education, Environmental Justice, And Rehabilitation In Real, Tangible Ways.
