ProgramsOur Programs in Washington State Prisons
SPP delivers a wide range of sustainability, conservation, education, and community programs across all 11 Washington State prisons. These initiatives bring nature, science, and meaningful work into correctional environments and build skills that benefit participants, ecosystems, and local communities.
Environmental
Education
Education is integral to SPP’s programs. SPP aims to make the most of both formal and informal education opportunities and to offer new knowledge and new practice to incarcerated students.
This 4-credit, peer-led course provides the academic fundamentals of small-scale food production. Topics include plant cultivation, healthy soils, garden placement, beneficial insects, and pest management. Learn More
This 2-credit, peer-led course builds on previous work in Washington State prisons and aims to provide foundational knowledge of composting science, techniques, and applications. Learn More
SPP offers science and nature workshops across Washington facilities. Topics are wide ranging and have included nature drawing, tree top ecology, marine biology, indigenous weaving practices, beekeeping. Learn More
Roots of Success was a 50-hour, peer-led environmental studies course teaching job readiness and green-economy skills. Over its 10-year run in Washington prisons, more than 1,600 incarcerated adults graduated from the program. Learn More
Ecological Conservation
SPP’s conservation programs encompass a huge range of activities and topics.
With the guidance of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Zoo, SPP partners (Evergreen and WA Corrections) rear and release federally-endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies. Learn More
SPP is a leading contributor to South Salish prairie restoration, funded by CNLM and JBLM, growing plants used by agencies like USFWS and WDFW. Learn More
The northwestern pond turtle, a state-endangered species, faces a treatable but poorly understood shell disease. WDFW, PAWS vets, Woodland Park Zoo, and Oregon Zoo partner to treat and care for these turtles at Cedar Creek and Larch Corrections Center. Learn More
In partnership with the Washington Beekeepers Association, SPP offers 4 levels of beekeeping certification at almost every prison in Washington. Learn More
Sustainable
Practices
Prisons are essentially small cities, operating 24/7. They can be extremely costly and resource-intensive. WA DOC has made a strong commitment to sustainability in prisons. Major sustainable operations initiatives include greenhouse gas emissions, energy, waste, and potable water use reductions.
COMPOSTING PROTOCOLS
The first edition of the Composting Protocols manual includes a guide for food waste collection, food waste processing, and using bokashi and vermiculture techniques to compost in the corrections environment along with other facilities, organizations, and individuals.
Community
Contributions
WA prisons uphold SPP’s “throw nothing away” ethic, turning waste into value — from quilts and refurbished computers to food bank produce. These programs’ impact and generosity are best captured in statewide numbers. Learn More
Dog and cat programs are common in prisons across Washington. Nearly all of Washington’s prisons have formed one or more partnerships with community nonprofits to create pet programs. Learn More
Restorative Nature &
Sustainable Living
The Washington Way
The Washington Way (WA Way) is a partnership between the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) and Amend at the University of California, San Francisco. It introduces a health-centered approach to transforming correctional culture within Washington’s prison facilities and Reentry Centers.
Composting with bugs turns food scraps and plant waste into rich soil while teaching the quiet work of decomposition. Learn More
Programs by Facility
Trista Egli
Former APP butterfly tecnican
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.
