Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW)
WCCW is home to the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly Program, a Prairie Ecological Conservation Nursery, Beekeeping, and hosts a monthly SPP Workshop Series. Additionally, WCCW has a thriving dog grooming and training program, beautiful gardens, and donates a variety of crafts to community.
A meditation garden at WCCW. Photo by DOC staff.
Facility Programs Highlights
Beekeeping
Highlights as of December 2025:
Beekeeping has been relocated inside the fence near recreation to improve access.
Partners:
Mother Earth Farm, Little Earthe Farm, Tacoma Community College, Washington Master Beekeepers
Community College Horticulture
Highlights as of December 2025:
17 students enrolled in Horticulture will earn 55 credits through Tacoma Community College including 3 support classes (English 101, Business Math, and leadership) for full certifications. Horticulture students seeded, grew, harvested and delivered 8300 lbs. of vegetables for prison kitchen.
Partners:
Tacoma Community College, WSU Extension, Pierce County (Master Gardeners)
Electric vehicles
Highlights as of December 2025:
Maintain 2 electric vehicles.
Gardens and greenhouses
Highlights as of December 2025:
Horticulture has been working with 3 Pierce County Master Gardener (PCMG) volunteers mentoring students in the gardens. These volunteers are also members of the Horticulture Advisory Board. We have partnered with Cedar Creek and Tacoma Tagro as board members. Received a $1,500 grant from PCMG for hydroponic system in the greenhouse.
Partners:
Tacoma Community College, WSU Extension, Pierce County
Large-scale composting
Highlights as of December 2025:
Last year, composted 158+ tons of food waste. Program temporarily suspended for construction, operating for two months before being suspended again due to COVID-19. 14+ tons of compost yielded in two months.
Lighting upgrades
Highlights as of December 2025:
Continued replacement of fluorescent T8 lamps with LED lamps facility-wide as lamps burn out. Close to 75% replaced as of December 2020.
Mother Earth Farm, offsite farm crew
Highlights as of December 2025:
Temporarily suspended due to COVID-19; previous year offsite crew of 9 organic farm students grew vegetables for donation to 16 food pantries (quantities not available for 2019); formal education on 17 topics earns 9 credits from TCC.
Partners:
Mother Earth Farm, Emergency Food Network, Tacoma Community College
Pollinator plantings
Highlights as of December 2025:
Hanging baskets, perennial and annual pollinator-friendly flowers throughout facility; horticulture group planted additional ~4,000 flowering plants throughout the grounds.
Prairie Ecological Conservation Nursery
Highlights as of December 2025:
In past year, the crew cultivated ~65,000 prairie plants for habitat restoration, increased seed nursery to produce Viola adunca seed for federally endangered Silverspot butterfly on the Oregon coast; 30 workshops on restoration ecology.
Partners:
CNLM, JBLM, WA DNR, WDFW, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Zoo, Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship, Whidbey-Camano Land Trust, Friends of Puget Prairies, and Wolf Haven International
Prison Pet Partnership
Highlights as of December 2025:
This is the first in-prison pet program in the country! In the past year, 32 dogs were trained, 11 companion animals were adopted, 7 service dogs were placed, and 18 incarcerated individuals were employed.
SPP Workshop Series
Highlight as of March 2026:
SPP offers a monthly workshop series on various nature, science, art, and culture topics led by community experts.
Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly Rearing and Breeding Program
Highlights as of December 2025:
WCCW now hosts the Taylors Checkerspot Butterfly Program. 8 technicians support breeding and rearing this federally endangered species.
Waste sorting & recycling
Highlights as of December 2025:
Diverted 86+ tons of materials from waste stream to recycling. Program temporarily suspended for construction, restarted for two months, and then suspended again for COVID-19. In the two months of operation, 25+ tons of material recycled.
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