Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC)
| Program | Program Partners (Partner with DOC, Evergreen, or both) | Recent highlights – updated August 2019 |
| Roots of Success, environmental course | Roots of Success | Liaison described current cohort as “best class yet.” 237 Roots graduates since the program start. |
| Beekeeping | Millers Homestead, West Plains Beekeepers Association, Washington State Beekeepers Association (WASBA) | In past year, 17 incarcerated beekeepers passed Journeyman-level testing and co-authored WASBA’s Journeyman curriculum; AHCC incarcerated beekeepers club plans new initiatives with great staff support, for example: breeding queens, participating in USDA pest survey, building beekeeping equipment; certified 83 Beginner, Apprentice, and Journeyman beekeepers overall, including 11 staff members; 8 healthy hives. |
| Gardens: Main | Master Gardeners | 100,000 ft2 of gardens grew nearly 37,000 lbs of produce in 2016, all went to the prison kitchen; due to city water supply contamination, growing cover crops and flowers in 2017 and 18–will start growing produce again in 2019; adding 1/4 acre in 2019; four rows for native American programs: lavender, sage and sweet grass |
| Gardens: Minimum | Second Harvest Food Bank, Master Gardeners, and Gospel Mission | 20,000 ft2of gardens grew 4,140 lbs of produce in 2016; due to city water supply contamination, growing cover crops and flowers in 2017 and 18–will start growing produce again in 2019 |
| Diversity Garden | Cultural groups grow food and flowers for their special events | |
| Flower gardens | Throughout the prison for human and wildlife well-being | |
| Pollinator forage and habitat | Millers Homestead | Pollinator-friendly plantings throughout the main & minimum areas: flowers, herbs, pussy willow. Large woody debris (log!) and shrubby habitat in pond area |
| Sustainable Business Solutions | Team of four supporting sustainability programs with data tracking and mapping (produce grown, # from garden to kitchen, soil types) | |
| Large-scale composting | Main garden has large compost pile for food waste; waiting on funds to set up in-vessel system | |
| Waste sorting & recycling | Waste Management | Technicians receive comprehensive on-the-job training and education provided by DOC staff and Waste Mgmt company; in past year, recycled ~160.74 tons of metals, cardboard, paper, and pin plastics. |
| Worm farm: Minimum | Master Composters | Completed program move from Main to Minimum; may start new Main program inside a greenhouse. |
| SPL: Quilting | VOA (Hope House Women’s Shelter, Crosswalk Teen Shelter), Catholic Charities of Easter Washington, AHCC Medical End of Life Patients | Repurposing fabric in waste stream to create donation quilts; this year’s total is 95 quilts! 3 quilts went to AHCC Medical End-of-Life for terminally/deathbed inmates. The remaining 92 quilts were split between VOA (Hope House Women’s Shelter, Crosswalk Teen Shelter) and Catholic Charities (homeless outreach and shelter services) |
| Computers 4 Kids | Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, WA Department of Enterprise Services | Past year, refurbished 3,984 for schools plus 11,252 to surplus; incarcerated technicians learn basic diagnostics and can test for certification, plus learn office skills (excel, access) and shipping skills (e.g., forklift experience) |
| Pawsitive dog training – prison program | Diamonds in the Ruff, SpokAnimal, Spokane Humane Society | More staff and incarcerated participation this past year; ended 24th session in June with cumulative total of 175 dog graduates; dog re-union event bring together dog, new owners, and former handlers; program is 100% self-sustainable by community donations and fundraising with art and crafts projects donated to Spokane Humane Society |
| Firewood donation | SNAP Spokane | 739 cords (!) donated July 2018 – July 2019; DNR provides wildland fire trainings and prison staff provide firewood and chipper trainings |
| Nature Imagery | Incarcerated individuals in maximum security can opt to watch nature imagery; also offered by mental health staff during times of mental distress |
Articles about AHCC
2019
Learning about gentleness from honeybees
2018
First Journeyman Beekeepers Have Graduated From AHCC!
Caring about people, caring about place
Astrobiology for the Incarcerated – Washington
2017
Roots of Success Gains Momentum at Airway Heights
2016
Creative Illustrations for Monarch Butterfly Conservation
AHCC Roots of Success Graduation
Saving Resources at Airway Heights Corrections Center
Airway Heights Abuzz with Beekeeping
All snaps! Airway Heights amazing firewood program