Text by Bethany Shepler, Green Track Program Coordinator
Photos by Jonathan Fischer, Beekeeping Liaison and Classification Counselor at Washington State Penitentiary
![](https://sustainabilityinprisons.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/DSCN4364-620x465.jpg)
The Washington State Penitentiary (WSP) hosts one of the oldest and best-established beekeeping programs in Washington State Department of Corrections. They have built a professional-size apiary, certified 44 incarcerated men as beekeepers, participated in a National Honey Bee Pest Survey by the USDA, hosted a professional beekeeper (Mona Chambers, founder of See the Bees), and—in general— have established themselves as a leader in prison beekeeping.
They are about to finish a Journeyman Beekeeper course, putting them on the path to classes led by incarcerated beekeepers!
Below are some photos from the last day of a recent Beginner class, when students and staff sponsors left the classroom to inspect some of the many hives that WSP keeps.
![](https://sustainabilityinprisons.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/DSCN4340-620x465.jpg)
![](https://sustainabilityinprisons.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/beekeeper-holding-a-frame-edited--1000x750.jpg)
![](https://sustainabilityinprisons.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/adding-honey-supers-to-hives-to-catch-the-honey-edited--620x465.jpg)
Jonathan Fischer, the beekeeping liaison, had this to say about the program “we had a stellar year, with 8 honey supers ready for harvest. These 8 boxes will produce about 270-300 pounds of honey.”