Ridge Dogs is the only inmate-initiated-and-operated pet program in WA Corrections, and has a strong culture of empowerment and transformation. They also have the attention of a really great professional photographer. Photo by J. Devine Photography.

Coyote Ridge Corrections Center (CRCC) was one of the first prisons to embrace Roots of Success, an environmental course. Since 2014, the peer-led program has graduated 226 students in 14 cohorts. Photo by Ricky Osborne.

CRCC was the first prison in the nation to be LEED Gold certified. Understandably, a high sustainability rating comes with water use restrictions, and the main campus cannot have the vibrant food and flower gardens typical of WA prisons. Instead, staff have focused on native plants and wildlife habitat structures, like this mason bee house. Photo by Ricky Osborne.

Coyote Ridge Corrections Center (CRCC)

Program	Program Partners (partner with DOC, Evergreen, or both)	Recent highlights
Roots of Success, environmental course	Roots of Success	16 classes graduated so far!
Sustainability Lecture Series	Guest speakers	Three lectures this past year: A Plastic Ocean, Solar Energy, and Sustainability.
Beekeeping	Mid Columbia Beekeepers Ass’n	Program is buzzing! Two classes in session and working to start a journeyman-level beekeeper program
Sustainability Passport		In past year, awarded 55 passports with stamps for various sustainability programs: lecture series, beekeeping, Roots, Toys for Tots, etc.
Plant and Animal Habitat		Bird boxes, owl box, and pollinator box in garden; built 6 bee boxes in past year.
Land restoration	Lamb Weston	Restoring native vegetation outside the fence, planted ~200 sagebrush plants and ~3 lbs of blanket flower seeds
Heritage Garden		Designed by incarcerated individuals, honors cultural and natural heritage of local area, using native plants to minimize water use.
Gardens: Minimum		3,000 ft2 of gardens produced more than 6000 lbs in 2018; donated to food banks throughout the Columbia Basin.
Worm composting: Main and Minimum		Have grown 1000 worms to ~45,000; processed ~600 lbs of food waste and generated 300 lbs of worm castings.
Composting		Produced 2.5 tons of compost in past year
Waste sorting & recycling		Sorted ~167 tons of recyclables in past year: metals, cardboard, paper, plastic
Ridge Dogs	Benton Franklin Humane, Adam County Pet Rescue	105 dogs graduated from the program in past year! Volunteer publishing participant essays on program experience
Mother and kitten foster	Benton Franklin Humane, Adam County Pet Rescue	20 kittens in the program last year
Toys for Tots	Tri-Cities Toys for Tots, Shriners Hospital for Children	Donated 150 toys and crafts in the in past year
Teddy bears from reclaimed materials	Hospitals, API events held at CRCC, ARC of Tri-Cities, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office	Donated 251 teddy bears to partners and benefit events

Articles about CRCC

2018

Coyote Ridge Corrections Center looks gray, but it’s the “greenest” prison in the nation!

Liaisons are our Roots for Success

2017

Letter from one of the Roots Master Trainers

Fracking Lecture at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center

2016

Collecting Sagebrush Seeds

Prairie Restoration Lecture

Accountability: Brainstorming article

Sustainability & Justice

Climate Science at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center

A Master of Training

Sagebrush in Prisons Project

2015

Growing Sagebrush in Central Washington

Each One, Teach One

2014

CRCC Roots Course Leads to Inmate Interest in Sustainability

Reaching higher at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center