Written in November, 2012 by compost-technician and inmate at Cedar Creek Corrections Center

Deep within each human being there lies an enigmatic force, or power, if you will. This power lies dormant until activated by something unique to each individual. Children often have this force brought to life by their parents, a role model, or teacher. What is this spark that can change the course of a young life? What can motivate someone to fly to the moon? What can cause dreams to become reality? What can make an incarcerated person believe in a bright future? One word: HOPE! Unfortunately, this fuel of dreams is rare, to say the least, in the place where these words originate. You see, I write from behind the fences of a Correctional Facility. I am one of the truly fortunate ones, however, for this power I write of was brought to life in me by a visitor. The irony is that the person who instilled hope in me is most assuredly unaware of the gift they gave me. Let me explain.

During a tour of the SPP national conference, the author demonstrates sifting compost at Cedar Creek Corrections Center, September, 2012. Photo by Shauna Bittle.

I was invited to attend my first Live Green, Learn Green lecture at Stafford Creek Correction Center approximately four and a half years ago. Dr. Nadkarni from The Evergreen State College came to Stafford Creek to speak. I don’t remember much of the content of that first lecture, what I do remember was that the good Doctor brought pine bows with her and placed them at each table. While pine bows might seem a bit insignificant to people who are not incarcerated, their significance increases a hundred-fold if you have been living in a concrete house for a decade. I found myself inhaling the sweet fragrance of pine that took me back to a better time. I am a native of the Pacific Northwest, so of course pine has the smell of memories clothed in innocence and nature that have always held a special attraction for me. I still find it amazing that an odor can inspire, and a simple touch of something from nature can bring to life something in me that had lay dormant for far too long.

Another photo of the author from a tour of the SPP national conference in September, 2012. Photo by Shauna Bittle.

After that first lecture, I attended nearly thirty-six more lectures on various topics. I learned about butterflies, birds, bats, riparian areas, forest canopies, bears, salmon, and my absolute favorite, Apis mellifera (honey bees). The foregoing is not a comprehensive list, but a smattering of the gifts given to me by The Evergreen State College and the many fine people that brought the lecture series to the concrete habitat I lived in.

I don’t want to be misunderstood when I make this reference to concrete. I made my bed and I certainly must sleep in it. My point is that in prison there is a lack of things of nature. So, as I sat in the lectures, I became more and more interested and looked forward to the day when I could be actively involved in things green.

After approximately one year of attending the lecture, I was introduced to a young man by the name of Sam Hapke who was an entomologist from The Evergreen State College. Mr. Hapke taught me and several other inmates the wonderful art of beekeeping. I was previously afraid of bees, so it was with much trepidation that I forged ahead and gained an appreciation, no a love, for these wonderful and oh so necessary creatures. I studied the literature and paid close attention to Sam’s teaching and soon found myself as the sole inmate tasked with caring for the bees at Stafford Creek Correction Center. I love bees and plan to be actively involved with them in some capacity upon my eventual release.

Entomologist Sam Hapke from The Evergreen State College works with an inmate technician in the beekeeping programming at Stafford Creek Corrections Center. Photo from 2009 by Benj Drummond.

I have left Stafford Creek and am now at Cedar Creek Correction Center, a minimum security camp. I am currently working in the garden and composting area of the camp and am actively involved with sustainability. I have been fortunate enough to be involved in several tours for the public, including people from Paris, New York, and Washington D.C., as well as many folks from the legislature here in the state of Washington. I don’t believe any of this would be possible had it not been for the sweet smell of that pine bow so long ago. Thanks Doc!

As the author says, smelling something green can be a rare delight for those incarcerated; this image from a 2012 lecture at Stafford Creek Corrections Center. Photo by Shauna Bittle.

In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to all the people who gave their time; that myself and others not only learned of sustainability, but actually felt like we could become contributors to our communities and the world as a whole. The future seems brighter than it has most of my life. I have a new found and lasting respect for this planet I live on. I understand more than ever that I am a steward charged with the care and sustainability of wherever my feet touch. I cannot go backwards for I am also tasked with sustaining the hope that was instilled in me.

By Bri Morningred, SPP Graduate Research Assistant and Washington Corrections Center for Women Conservation Nursery Coordinator

The third hoop house at WCCW differs from the first two in that it does not have doors; this will allow us to grow plants who like things a little colder.

At long last the third hoop house in SPP’s conservation nursery at Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) is complete! There they stand, all in a row, ready to shelter the upcoming rounds of sowing and hard work that the WCCW crew will complete. As I started with SPP after the first two hoop houses were already constructed, it was an amazing experience getting to see one built from the ground up—literally!

It all begins with marking the space where the hoop house is supposed to go, measuring the width of the poles and their spacing from each other, and marking everything with spray paint or tape. Next comes the hole-digging. This is a really difficult task but the WCCW crew made it look like a piece of cake. 🙂

Once the holes are dug, cement is poured into the holes, the base poles are set into the cement and left to harden. Further construction can’t happen until those poles set otherwise everything will tip over! Next comes attaching the frame to the supporting poles—here’s the cool part—and these frames and all the pieces to connect them are created at Stafford Creek Corrections Center! A very cool part of the partnership to get these hoop houses built, I think.

Once the frame is attached, boards are attached horizontally along the lower sides of the houses as base-boards for the wire lock track (I’ll get to that part in a minute). To do that, and to attach the wire lock track to the rest of the metal frame, we actually had to drill holes into the metal—a feat I had no idea was even possible until this project. The track for the wire lock is a groove that the wire lock (or wiggle-wire 😉 ) fits into; this holds the plastic in place without ripping it. With the wire lock tracks in place, now we can unroll and place the plastic. This was the most difficult part as the plastic is in a giant roll which is insanely heavy, and has to be hoisted up above the frame and unrolled little by little. Once again, the crew made it look so easy! After that, all that was left to do was to trim the plastic, attach it to the frame with the wiggle-wire, and lay the black ground cloth inside the hoop house and TA-DA third hoop house done!

Unlike the first two hoop houses, this one will not have doors on either end; it will be open in order to accommodate those plants that prefer to be more cold than warm throughout the growing season. After a very successful first sowing season at WCCW, we are excited to grow additional prairie plant species in this new hoop house in the coming season. We will keep you posted—thanks for tuning in!

The three hoops houses at WCCW lined up in the dawn sunlight–they will be supporting over 10 species of native prairie plants through the next sowing season.

Thanks to Joint Base Lewis-McChord for funding construction of the third hoop house.

Cheers,

Bri

By Joslyn Rose Trivett, SPP Network Manager

November4th, 2013, I had the pleasure of attending the first Roots of Success graduation ceremony at Cedar Creek Corrections Center (CCCC). Roots of Success is an environmental literacy curriculum recommended to us by Ohio corrections, and this year we are piloting the program at four corrections facilities: Correctional Industries, Stafford Creek Corrections Center, Washington State Penitentiary, and CCCC. Correctional Industries (CI) has funded and led program implementation. Special thanks to them, especially to Lucienne Banning and Michael Colwell of CI, for making the program possible.

Superintendent of CCCC, Douglas Cole, discusses the merits of Roots of Success with the graduating class. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.

The ceremony took place in the visiting room, still abundantly decorated for Halloween. The ceremony began with Superintendent Douglas Cole asking the class what they had learned in Roots of Success. The inmates detailed their new knowledge, and also spoke of the general importance of environmental literacy. One said, “This class has taught me the language of right now.” Another felt similarly lucky; he smiled as he said, “I feel like I’m buying Microsoft stock in 1982.”

Two Roots graduates read a speech by Chief Seattle to the class. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.

Two inmates from western Washington native tribes read a speech from Chief Seattle, and the reading was received with reverence and appreciation. One of the presenters said that he considered earlier technologies of this culture to be the “messier kind;” newer technologies, such as they had learned about in Roots of Success, are providing a way to connect back to nature.

A Roots graduate receives his congratulations from Superintendent Cole. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.

One of the Roots graduates reads his graduation certificate. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.

The inmate students received their certificates to applause. We also acknowledged the two inmate instructors, and the SPP Graduate Research Assistant who has worked on Roots, Rachel Stendahl.

Guest speaker Aimee Christie from the Pacific Shellfish Institute describing CCCC’s participation in a water quality improvement program in southern Puget Sound. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.

Finally, a guest speaker, Aimee Christie from the Pacific Shellfish Institute, described how mussels are being used for nitrogen sequestration in southern Puget Sound. CCCC recently accepted about 2000 lbs of harvested mussels from the Institute and will process them in the prison’s new composting system.

Roots of Success 2013 graduating class at CCCC. The women on the left are both Roots instructors: Rita Reynoldson, a corrections staff member, and Lucienne Banning, Offender Workforce Development Specialist for CI. The woman on the right is Rachel Stendahl, the SPP Graduate Research Assistant who has coordinated Roots for Washington Department of Corrections. Photo by CI staff.

I missed the cake and ice cream, and still I can say it was a wonderful event! I look forward to many more Roots graduations to come.

SPP needs funding to sustain our education programming: to donate, please visit our page at the Evergreen Foundation.

By Joslyn Rose Trivett, SPP Network Manager

In the short time that Cedar Creek Corrections Center (CCCC) has had their new in-vessel composter operational, I have heard many great things about it. In early November, I had the chance to see the composter in action and be further thrilled by its capabilities.

The new in-vessel composter at CCCC. This is the back end of the drum, and finished compost is falling onto the conveyor ramp that takes it to a holding pile.

The morning I visited they had added 1000 lbs of food waste to the front end of the drum. The drum’s rotation is sufficient to move the material along, so that if you looked at the drum in cross-section you would see the progression from fresh waste to finished compost along its length. Eric Heinitz, Environmental Specialist for Washington Department of Corrections (WDOC), showed me the metal markers used to ensure that inputs of material have a residence time of at least the 14 days; the first marker was dated and put in the drum 2 ½ weeks ago, and has not yet showed up in the finished product—a promising sign that the composter is working as it should.

Eric Heinitz, Environmental Specialist for WDOC, showing a metal marker used to determine compost’s residence-time in the composting drum.

One of the inmate technicians has become especially proficient at operating and servicing the drum composter; he has been able to fix operational problems as they arise. The system’s manufacturer has requested that he get in touch with the business post-release, because they want to put his talents to work as an employee.

An inmate technician for CCCC’s large-scale composting program was pleased to pose with the new machine.

Vermicomposting continues at CCCC’s small-scale composting area, a longtime highlight of SPP tours. With the new large-scale composter, plus their intensive recycling program, CCCC is cancelling its regular contract with the solid waste collector, Lemay, Inc. The prison is processing more than 95% of their solid waste on site!

By Erica Turnbull, SPP Summer Intern

Spending 11 weeks working in prison might not sound appealing to everyone but as a Rehabilitation and Social Justice major at Western Washington University, I could not have been more excited to be accepted by the SPP team as their summer intern.

Starting my internship with an overview of SPP, I was invited to visit and participate in programs at four prisons (Stafford Creek, Cedar Creek, Mission Creek, and Washington Corrections Center for Women). In time, most of my volunteer work took place at Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC) and Cedar Creek Corrections Center (CCCC).

Inmates participating in the educational lecture held at SCCC. Photo by Erica Turnbull.

SCCC holds educational lecture once a month with guest speakers. At the lectures, inmates can learn about sustainability and have time for Q&A with the presenter. I made educational handouts for the inmates to take with them and helped do data entry to track program success and inmates’ environmental interest. Also at SCCC, SPP Graduate Research Assistant, Drissia Ras, and I worked in the greenhouses where inmates are growing endangered native prairie plants. Once a week we spent a day counting germination successes, controlling pests, and maintaining the plants as they transition through their life cycle.

At CCCC I took over the gardening project from Sophie Hart, a former SPP volunteer. I enjoyed tremendous help from recent Evergreen Environmental Studies graduate Katie Wolt. Together we helped the inmates compile seasonal crop lists, talked about the importance of crop rotation to replenish soil nutrients, and planted flowers with natural healing properties that double as pest controls by attracting natural predators to control the overabundant aphid population. Our biggest project was collaborating with the inmates to start amending the soil in the newly established orchard.

Vegetable garden at CCCC. Photo by Erica Turnbull.

Also I was invited by staff to participate in the Roots of Success program with SPP Graduate Research Assistant Rachel Stendahl and Correctional Industries’ Lucienne Guyot. It was great to see the gardening crews in a classroom setting where we could talk about job skills development and planning for re-entry.

I was also cordially invited to attend the Redemption Program; a safe place for inmates to share their past, set goals for the future, and help each other develop and achieve positive change within them.

Two inmates on the gardening crew at CCCC, taking a break from amending the soil in the prison’s orchard. Photo by Erica Turnbull.

I have noticed that a number of inmates are very passionate about self-betterment and helping others succeed as well. Several inmates have spent the majority of their adult lives in prison. From what I have observed, punishment t

hrough incarceration does not appear to have as much positive and lasting impact on inmates as programs, opportunities, and the encouragement of others. A positive and safe context allows inmates to understand how past actions led them to where they are now and what changes they can make to grow and move forward. Personal growth allows them to create productive goals and foster hope in themselves and others.

Developing trust through consistency is also important. Inmates needed to know they could rely on me to come when I said I would, order project supplies, etc. Spending just a few hours with the inmates every week lets them know someone cares and is as dedicated to the projects as they are. The inmates I worked with value interactions with people from outside the gates. They also value working outdoors with nature; I heard several inmates express the hope and tranquility it brings.

Roots of Success class at CCCC. Photo by Erica Turnbull.

From what I have noticed, SPP programs bring out a number of strengths in the inmates. Programs require and encourage responsibility, reliability, timeliness, communication, teamwork, and help foster patience which leads to calmer dispositions.

This is an amazing project! I have learned and grown so much through this experience. I want to thank my WWU supervisor, Charles Sylvester, as well as my SPP supervisor, Brittany Gallagher, for having patience. The whole SPP team flooded me with unending support throughout and beyond my internship. I would like to give a special thanks to Charlie Washburn, CCCC Programs Manager, Kim Govreau, CCCC Volunteer Coordinator, and Katie Wolt, SPP volunteer, for their knowledge, encouragement, and guidance. Lastly, a thank you to all the officers who never failed to maintain safety and keep a positive attitude!

Inmate with his son sitting in a firetruck at the CCCC’s children’s back to school fair. Photo provided by Kim Govreau.

I look forward to working in this field now more than ever and am excited to see what new programs SPP has in store!

by Jaal Mann, Conservation Nursery Coordinator and Graduate Research Assistant

A couple of weeks ago, a stray cat gave birth to six kittens at our Shotwell’s Landing nursery in the tool storage shed. The inmate crew that comes there to work from Cedar Creek Corrections Center immediately bonded with the kittens, and made sure they were socialized and healthy. We have found homes for all of the kittens and they will be in permanent homes at the end of the week. A happy ending for the kittens, and the inmates will be sad to see them go.

The experience with the kittens has served as a reminder of the positive impact that working with living things can have.

By Scott Knapp, Grounds & Nursery Services Specialist 5, Washington Corrections Center; photos by Scott Knapp and Don Carlstad

It has been a busy and productive gardening season here at Washington Corrections Center (WCC). We harvested over 20,000 lbs. of fresh garden bounty this year. The 180 tomato plants that we grew in one of our greenhouses produced well over 1,000 pounds of deliciousness! Half the bounty has gone to Mason County food banks, and half has stayed here to help reduce the prison’s food costs.

We rotated crops so that we could harvest all season long—no booms or busts. Our main crops were the staple-type veggies that everyone enjoys and the folks at the food banks, some with limited resources, can enjoy without having to prepare in a kitchen; these were broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, potatoes, radishes, carrots, onions, and beets. The 19 offenders that work the garden really enjoyed being a part of a record-breaking year for WCC’s gardens, and planning for next year’s crops is already underway.

This year, all of our annual flowers grown from seed did exceptionally well. We added fresh compost from our new composting center (photo of the center in a recent blog) to all of our flower beds, and that made everything flourish. The color and size of some of them were incredible, and a lot of it is still looking extremely nice this late in the season. The color really brings life to an otherwise dreary venue. Preparing for planning next year’s annuals is already underway: we are sterilizing the greenhouses this week and starting to mix our secret recipe of potting soil. This is a very busy time of year for us here at WCC as we put the garden area to bed for the season and prepare for another great season next year.

Happy Gardening!!!

By Julie Vanneste, Environmental Planner, Sustainability Coordinator for WDOC

In August, Cedar Creek Corrections Center started using its new composting facility, marking the latest addition to the Department’s lineup of five large onsite composting facilities that manage food and other organic wastes, including kitchen waste, tray scrapings from dining areas and landscaping wastes. In addition to these likely waste streams, Cedar Creek also plans to begin composting bio-solids from the facility’s waste water treatment plant, much like Olympic Corrections Center has for the past 20 years.

These composting centers are a source of pride for the Department for Corrections and just one example of how sustainable operations are not only environmentally correct but fiscally responsible.

The composting facility at Stafford Creek Corrections Center, which is similar in capacity and design to Cedar Creek’s new facility, has saved Stafford Creek a calculated $30,000 per year. Their entire waste management system, which includes the compost unit, allows the facility an average annual savings of $200,000. Incorporating bio-solids with other organic wastes at Olympic Corrections Center saves tens of thousands of dollars each year through the ability to manage this waste stream onsite. Food and landscaping wastes adds still more savings.

An offender technician works with the in-vessel composting system at Washington Corrections Center in Shelton. Photo by Benj Drummond and Sara Joy Steele.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, easing the burden on our landfills and creating meaningful employment by providing  skills and educational opportunities for  offenders are additional bonuses of the composting and sustainability programs.

Cedar Creek’s new facility consists of a rotating drum, manufactured in Lynden, WA; four aerated static pile bays; and storage of the finished product. The rotating drum can receive an average of 3,000 pounds of organic waste daily. Compost removed from the drum is moved to an aerated static pile for three addition weeks, where it is closely monitored for pathogen reduction and curing. Once finished, the compost is safe for general use as a soil amendment.

Although Cedar Creek is a much smaller campus, managing approximately three tons per month of food waste as opposed to Stafford Creek’s average of 20 tons per month, the smaller forest camp has big plans for its new drum.

Although the equipment and its accompanying 7,000 sq. ft. building are new to Cedar Creek, composting is not. Home of the Department’s first food waste compost facility, Cedar Creek  has successfully managed all of its food waste  in a back-yard -style composting operation  for the past 10 years, cobbled together from salvaged material including ecology blocks and an old roof moved from another part of the campus. Costing virtually nothing to construct, staff and offenders, under the leadership of then-superintendent Dan Pacholke, began a project that almost immediately saved the Department $1.3 million in impending upgrades to the facility’s waste water treatment plant. Those upgrades were ultimately determined unnecessary after the facility demonstrated that the use of their new composting system eliminated such significant burden on the waste water treatment plant that additional capacity could be handled without improvements to the facility.

Now some 10 years later, composting again appears to be the more sustainable and cost-effective answer. Costly and increasingly scarce options to truck and manage the facility’s bio-solids off-site have been costing the Department $3,000 a month. The Department’s existing contract with LOTT, the local municipal waste water treatment facility, will expire in December 2013 with no favorable option to renew.

With this looming problem in mind, the compost facility was designed to receive these bio-solids and compost them in conjunction with other sources of organic waste from the facility and eventually with food waste from the Capital Campus in Olympia.

Although still awaiting regulatory approval of their of bio-solids permit from the Department of Ecology, there is goodwill and high hopes for this project from stakeholders, regulators, and potential partners alike. While there is no projected date for approval of the permit due to staff shortages at the Department of Ecology, DOC is working with Thurston County’s Solid Waste Program to secure approval for a solid waste permit with provision to accept bio-solids. If approved, Ecology may accept this county approval and thereby grant a provisional bio-solid permit while Ecology continues its permit review.  Meanwhile, Cedar Creek continues to process its food waste and plans the future use and partnerships of this badly needed regional resource.

Superintendent Doug Cole and Project Manager Eric Heinitz with the rotating drum that begins the composting process at Cedar Creek Corrections Center.

By Rachel Stendahl, Graduate Research Assistant & Roots of Success Coordinator

In inmate instructor delivers Roots of Success in a classroom at Cedar Creek Corrections Center. Photo by Erica Turnbull.

Roots of Success is an empowering environmental literacy and job readiness curriculum developed by Dr. Raquel Pinderhughes of San Francisco State University. The program is currently active in 34 states, Puerto Rico, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Students can complete up to 10 modules on a variety of environmental subjects including energy, transportation, waste, financial literacy, and social entrepreneurship. The program fosters environmental appreciation, literacy, and career pathways into the green economy.

The Sustainability in Prisons Project initiated Roots of Success in Washington’s prisons after hearing positive reviews from SPP-Ohio. Roots provides a version of the curriculum catered to corrections and reentry programs. The program is already underway in four Washington state correctional facilities: Correctional Industries in Tumwater, Stafford Creek in Aberdeen, Cedar Creek in Littlerock, and Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. So far, approximately 75 inmates have been involved in the program. This number will increase as new classes begin over the next several months. There has also been talk of expanding the program to juvenile correctional facilities in a partnership with Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

The classes appear to be a great success. The offenders are engaging the material, asking important questions, and working to fully understand the concepts. Many of the participants even say that they want to pursue green jobs after their release.

Students in the Roots of Success class at Cedar Creek Corrections Center work in a small group to address a study question. Photo by Erica Turnbull.