AHCC leads all Washington State prisons in diverting waste to reuse and recycling. Their approach is super low-tech: hand sorting at the source. At the end, so little "garbage" remains that three partners crack up in trying to define the word. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.

Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC) in eastern Washington boasts 3 acres of cultivated soil, growing food crops and flowers for pollinators and human well-being. They host the only designated Diversity Garden in Washington State prisons, shown in this photo: the prison's cultural groups have space to grow flowers and foods they need for their celebrations and ceremonies. Photo by Ricky Osborne.

In February 2019, AHCC beekeepers and associates celebrated the prison bee club's impressive accomplishments; in just a few years, incarcerated beekeepers and their partners have built a excellent program: productive, transformative, and sustainable. Photo by Kay Heinrich.

AHCC staff and leadership show exceptional teamwork and professionalism, plus good humor and creativity. Photo by Ricky Osborne.

Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC)

Program	Program Partners (Partner with DOC, Evergreen, or both)	Recent highlights
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; giving four rows to grow for native American programs: lavendar, sage and sweet grass.
Gardens: Minimum	Second Harvest Food Bank, Master Gardeners, and Gospel Mission	20,000 ft² of 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.
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	In past year, refurbished 4,321 computers for schools plus 10,311 to surplus; incarcerated technicians learn basic computer diagnostics and can test for certification, plus office and shipping skills.
Pawsitive dog training – prison program	Diamonds in the Ruff and SpokAnimal	Graduated 16 dogs in past year, and held 2 graduation ceremonies; Humane Society hosted a “Yappy Hour” on September 5 to raise funds for the program.
Firewood donation	SNAP Spokane	Donated 571 cords of wood in past year to low income families; DNR provides wildland fire trainings, and prison staff provide firewood and chipper trainings.
Nature Imagery	Nature Imagery in Prisons	Inmates in maximum security area can watch nature videos.

Articles about AHCC

2018

First Journeyman Beekeepers Have Graduated From AHCC!

Caring about people, caring about place

Beans to Bluebonnets

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

2015

Gardens at Airway Heights Corrections Center