What SPP Is and Isn't
SPP believes in clarity and transparency. As we share what we do, it’s
equally important to explain what our programs are not designed to do.
A turtle technician and WDFW wildlife biologist take measurements of a turtle before releasing it back into the wild. Photo by Emily Passarelli.
What SPP programs
are not designed to do
We Don’t Create Programs to “Greenwash” Prisons
We want to show our respect for our incarcerated and staff partners. We also advocate for access to nature and environmental benefits for everyone, in any institution and in any community. We are acutely aware of the challenges and hardships of the prison system and take every opportunity to promote and support positive change.
We Don’t Create Programs to Provide Cheap Labor
Our programs are designed to bring science, nature, and environmental education into prisons; they are not created to provide an inexpensive source of labor for conservation organizations. SPP programs must include benefits for everyone involved. As an education organization, the primary benefits we seek to provide our incarcerated partners are education, training, and connections with nature.
In some of our programs, incarcerated technicians and educators are compensated with a low hourly wage. That rate of pay is set by the Washington State Legislature, and SPP is not allowed to contribute funding or lobby for increased wages.
We Don’t Create Programs Just to Save Money For DOC
Some SPP programs reduce resource use and save the prison system operating funds, which in turn reduces costs to taxpayers. Those savings don’t directly benefit the SPP team. We support reduced resource use where it also benefits incarcerated individuals, communities, and ecosystems.
The main driver of SPP programs is changing lives through education and opportunities for positive contribution. Many of the SPP-led programs are offered purely for educational value and require resources from the Department of Corrections, including funds, staff time, space, and equipment.
We Don’t “Make” People Take Part
Every SPP-led program is a partnership, and being a partner is voluntary. Our programs do not mandate that incarcerated people participate; SPP is available as an option. If people try our programs and don’t like them, we work with them to find a better fit. We understand that these programs don’t resonate with everyone, and our shared success depends on mutual interest and investment.
An SPP conservation nursery coordinator and incarcerated beekeeper pause to discuss plant diversity. Photo by Emily Passarelli.
What SPP programs are
designed to do
We Respond to Incarcerated Partners’ Pleas For Programming
Over and over again, we hear from incarcerated people that they want these programs. The level and degree of demand would be hard to overstate! We hear from formerly incarcerated partners that programs offered by SPP, and others with a similar structure, were life-saving, transformational, and/or a valued refuge.
Meeting the needs, wants, and recommendations of our currently and formerly incarcerated partners is our top priority; they have more influence over our programs than any other stakeholder group.
We Create & Promote Environmental & Social Benefits For Everyone
Within every partnership, we strive for every participant (incarcerated and not) to ask for what they need, share what they know, and be recognized by others for their role and achievements. The main tools of empowerment we offer are education, shared purpose, and demonstrated respect and appreciation. Often, individuals find access to nature empowering as well — they feel the physical and psychological benefits of contact with non-human life.
We are committed and motivated to follow this approach because:
- Programs serve as learning exchanges. In these partnerships, SPP staff learn as much as anyone. Learning from our partners is incredibly satisfying and means we can continuously improve what we do.
- From nearly every partner, incarcerated and not, we hear that their experience with this model was positive, ranging from pleasing to profound.
- This approach creates successful, sustainable programs. When everyone is considered, everyone benefits, and everyone wants to keep it going.
We Help Create Culture Change
Through the life of SPP, we have seen cultural shifts across prisons and DOC. Over the years, we have directly witnessed and taken part in countless impressive, heart-lifting moments of empathy, insight, creativity, and courage. We have also heard about changes from many, many DOC partners, incarcerated, staff, and leadership.
The change hasn’t been linear, and there is still much to improve. We look forward to meeting those challenges.
We Invest In Corrections Staff As Well
A previously incarcerated SPP technician advised us that taking care of staff makes the prison experience better for everyone.
Programming can create added workload and stress for DOC partners. Programs rely on staff capacity and commitment, so we do everything we can to benefit them, too.
We aim to offer staff stress relief. We support improved working conditions and access to interesting, meaningful projects. As we do for all partners, we ask staff what they need and want, what they know and think, and how we can recognize them for their role and achievements.
Once a year, SPP reports on all things sustainable happening in Washington State Prisons.