Category Archives: Incarcerated Voices

Hands that Heal: Incarcerated Technicians Powering TCB Restoration

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in Biology collaboration Conservation Programs Ecological Restoration Incarcerated Voices Nature inside Science Sustainable Operations

By Desiree Whittenberg, SPP Environmental Education Development and Outreach Coordinator

a butterfly rests in someone's hand

Adult TCB in the hands of a technician at MCCCW. Photo by Desiree Whittenberg.

I recently traveled to Mission Creek Correctional Facility for Women (MCCCW), a Washington Department of Corrections (WA DOC) facility that has been closed since September 2025. For over 14 years before closing, MCCCW played a crucial role in native prairie habitat restoration and species recovery through SPP’s Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly Program. This program is an ongoing collaboration between SPP, Department of Corrections, and Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) to restore the population of this keystone species, which contributes to the overall health of Washington State prairies.  The health of prairie ecosystems and the future of the Taylor Checkerspot Butterfly (TCB) are closely connected, with each relying on the other for survival. Prairies supply the essential ingredients butterflies need, like specific host plants for their larvae, nectar for adults, and the right seasonal patterns to guide their life cycle. In turn, the butterfly plays a role in supporting pollination, contributing to food webs, and reflecting the overall condition of the ecosystem. Because prairie habitats are so limited and vulnerable, declines in the TCB often point to deeper environmental challenges, such as reduced plant diversity or shifts in climate timing. Protecting this butterfly, therefore, goes hand in hand with restoring prairie landscapes, helping to rebuild resilient ecosystems that support a wide range of species while maintaining important environmental functions.

When MCCCW closed its doors in September 2025, the incarcerated women were transferred to Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW). The federally endangered butterfly larvae, who were peacefully unaware of their looming migration, remained at MCCCW and rested in diapause. For three months, SPP made special trips to MCCCW to check on the larvae as they overwintered by providing food, checking environmental conditions, and tucking the larvae back in if/when they stirred too much. In December 2025, the larvae took the same 40-mile car ride their incarcerated caretakers had just a few short months before. Reunited at WCCW, technicians worked hard to ensure the larvae remained healthy through diapause until Wake Up in February 2026. From then until March, larvae were provided daily care at WCCW until all larvae were released back into the wild. This moment marked the completion of the first steps in plans that had been hatched by partner organizations when they learned about the impending closure of MCCCW.

butterfly technician counts eggs laid on a leaf by adults butterflies

TCB Technician counts eggs laid by adult butterflies on the leaves of Plantago lanceolata, also known as narrowleaf or English plantain. Photo by Desiree Whittenberg.

Starting late 2024, SPP worked tirelessly with partners from WDFW, the US Department of Fish and Wildlife, MCCCW staff and leadership, WA DOC leadership, incarcerated technicians, and many other entities to determine the best course of action to relocate the TCB program from MCCCW to WCCW while keeping the program active and functioning. Knowing that proper rearing facilities would not be quite ready for the emerging butterflies in early spring, this collaboration had to devise a plan that worked for all parties involved. In 2025, DOC leadership and staff, TCB Technicians, and SPP crafted a plan to continue utilizing existing greenhouse infrastructure at MCCCW. In April 2026, WCCW transported technicians to their temporary job site at MCCCW to care for, measure, and monitor wild-caught adult butterflies. Technicians also needed to care for eggs being laid by the adults (as seen in the photo below) through development until they once again enter diapause and are transported back to WCCW, where they will overwinter until they too will emerge in the early months of 2027, this time in their brand-new lab at WCCW.

Adult TCB boasts the fruit of her labor, future TCB generations on English plantain leaf under her left wing. Photo by Desiree Whittenberg.

While speaking with the technicians, it was clear that they were not only passionate about their jobs but also deeply connected to the experiences of the butterflies in their care.

“We are so similar. We are both in captivity, you know? We’re both trying to recover and grow against the odds. At first, I just thought this job would be nice because the pay was better than our other options. I didn’t expect it to have such an impact on my overall well-being. We don’t really get that too much in here.”

I heard this sentiment echoed by several voices that day in the greenhouses, each expressing a mix of gratitude, reflection, and honesty. For some, the reality that not every butterfly will get to thrive outside of locked-up spaces felt personal. And yet, there was also a quiet sense of purpose, an understanding that every individual, whether released or not, contributes to something larger. In caring for these fragile species, the technicians are not only supporting the recovery of a federally endangered butterfly but also participating in the restoration of an entire ecosystem, leaving a lasting impact that extends far beyond the walls they work within.

WASBA’s Annual Beekeeping Facility of the Year Winner 2024: Washington Correctional Center for Women 

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in Community Organizations Incarcerated Voices Partners

“Keeping bees is like honey for your soul” – Incarcerated beekeeper at WASBA’s Beekeeping Facility of Year award ceremony 

Written by Anneke Wilder

At the end of March, the Washington Correctional Center for Women (WCCW) celebrated an exciting achievement. The women’s facility won the Washington State Beekeepers Association’s (WASBA) second annual Beekeeping Facility of the Year award for 2024. In a gym beautifully decorated by the WCCW incarcerated beekeepers, attendees celebrated the partnerships and dedicated individuals that made it all possible. Attendees included DOC Secretary Tim Lang, WCCW leadership and staff, WASBA Vice President Ellen Miller, WASBA’s Education lead Sandy Fanara, Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) staff, and other volunteers and contributors.  

Educational tables set up by incarcerated beekeepers. Photos by Emily Passarelli. 

The beekeepers set up educational tables for attendees to learn about all aspects of beekeeping, complete with opportunities to view, touch, and ask questions about the tools and materials necessary to keep bees and extract honey. Varroa mites, the scourge of every beekeeper’s hive, were a significant topic of conversation. Incarcerated beekeepers hoped to raise awareness of the issue through their educational table as well as in speeches during the ceremony.   

SPP Coordinators Mikala Waldrup (left) and Anneke Wilder (right) found Varroa mites under their seats during a speech from an incarcerated beekeeper. The beekeeper hoped to raise awareness of the destructive pest. Photo by Emily Passarelli. 

Beekeepers also spoke about the benefits of honey and the importance of bees to both our global community and their community behind bars. Several incarcerated beekeepers emphasized the transformational power of caring for the bees, making connections between beekeeping and their own lives. One woman noted how the bee’s sense of community and dedication to their queen has helped her understand the importance of community in her own life. Another beekeeper warned that if humans don’t cultivate this sense of care for the natural world and each other, it could push our species to extinction.  

Incarcerated beekeeper Michelle Gabel shows off the Facility of the Year plaque. Photo by Emily Passarelli. 

The ceremony wrapped up with the award presentation, a honey tasting, and a gift from the incarcerated individuals to volunteer Sandy Fanara and WASBA: beautiful handmade quilts made by some of the beekeepers themselves.  

WCCW Liaison Lara Kempton (left) presents WASBA volunteer Sandy Fanara (right) with quilts handmade by incarcerated beekeepers. Photo by Emily Passarelli. 

Partnerships, like the one between WASBA, WCCW staff and beekeepers, volunteers, and SPP, strengthen our communities. The resulting patchwork of diverse, dedicated, and inspiring individuals helps to grow the practice of beekeeping within the state of Washington and ensure that our pollinators continue to be respected, protected, and cared for in the generations to come. 

WASBA vice president Ellen Miller (right) presents WCCW liaison Lara Kempton (left) with the 2024 Facility of the Year Award. Photo by Emily Passarelli. 

Incarcerated Individuals at Washington Corrections Center Connect to their Ancestral Traditions with the Tribal Sons Medicine Garden

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in Environmental Justice Gardens Incarcerated Voices

Nourished by the compost processed on site and tended to by caring hands, the gardens at the Washington Corrections Center (WCC) are impressive bursts of color against the green Pacific Northwest landscape. In the summer the beds are filled with marigolds, cosmos, sunflowers, poppies and more, and they are a source of pride for the incarcerated gardeners.

Flower beds at WCC. Photos by Emily Passarelli.

One garden in particular offers not only an opportunity to learn gardening skills, but a way for indigenous gardeners to connect to their community and culture. The Tribal Sons Medicine Garden is home to medicinal and culturally significant plants such as sage, lavender, and cedar trees. Creation of the garden was spearheaded by indigenous community members, and it now provides a place of solace, growth, and connection.

A sign created by incarcerated individuals for the Tribal Sons Medicine Garden. Photo by Emily Passarelli.

Some of the herbs grown in the garden are used for ceremonies performed by tribal members in the facility. Since Native Americans are incarcerated at roughly 3.6x the rate of white people1, it is crucial to provide opportunities like the Tribal Sons Medicine Garden that allow them to continue stewarding their ancestral lands.

An incarcerated contributor to the garden was recently quoted in a King 5 article regarding his experience of the healing powers of the medicine garden: “This is harmony, this is peace, this is serenity,” he said. “This is healing, this is restoration, this is rehabilitation.”

Medicinal herbs recently planted in the Tribal Sons Medicine Garden. Photo by Emily Passarelli.

During a recent Foundations in Composting class meeting, students performed a soil test in the medicine garden with the help of composting expert Sally Brown. Halfway through the test, the chunk of test soil dropped suddenly back to the ground. “They wanted it back,” one of the indigenous gardeners joked, “the ancestors wanted the soil back.” 

 

1 Vera Institute of Justice. ​ (2019). Incarceration Trends in Washington. ​ Retrieved from http://www.vera.org/state-incarceration-trends. ​

 

 

Susan Christopher’s Lasting Impact

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in collaboration Conservation Programs Education Incarcerated Voices Outreach Partners Reentry Science SPP Network

Text by Erica Benoit, SPP Special Projects Manager

In my final weeks working with the Sustainability in Prisons Project, I was lucky enough to interview Susan Christopher, another amazing former SPP Butterfly Technician who actually worked alongside Nichole Alexander during her time at the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW). Susan and I spoke about her experience in the SPP program, the impact she has had on other women struggling with incarceration and/or addiction, and her considerable community involvement.

Susan Christopher (right) assists another crew member in the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly program. Photo by Keegan Curry.

Susan’s time in the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly program represents an exceptional case in which an incarcerated person remained employed in a program for more than 3 years. This opportunity to work with the species for four total breeding seasons meant she gained extensive experience and skills that have contributed to the program’s long-term success. In particular, she and other technicians at the time developed tracking mechanisms that impressed program partners like the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Some of her other accomplishments in the program include giving a presentation to 40 biologists, taking a field trip to see the butterflies in the wild at the Glacial Heritage Preserve, and being interviewed by PBS News Hour about the program.

Susan explains the data tracking systems used in the butterfly program in front of the camera for the PBS News Hour Special. Photo by Kelli Bush.

Susan emphasized the positive impact that being in the SPP butterfly program had on her. She said, “It’s such an amazing program…what it does for our self-esteem, giving us a chance to prove ourselves again, to be trusted and appreciated. To me, it was the most important job in the institution.”

Susan Christopher shows off a Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly to SPP Staff, Emily Passarelli. Photo by SPP Staff.

It was clear from our interview that Susan also tends to have a big impact on the communities around her, whether that is in prison or her outside community. For instance, she served as a peer mentor in prison for women while they were experiencing crisis. She also volunteered in MCCCW’s clothing closet program, which provides professional clothes to women preparing to take their next steps into society. While incarcerated, she taught yoga to other incarcerated women as a therapeutic outlet. Since her release from prison, she has continued this practice with individuals who are in treatment for issues related to addiction. She also shares her story of overcoming her own addiction problems to women’s groups and church groups as a way to own her truth and give people hope.

In addition to these meaningful contributions, Susan has also dedicated her time to providing fun outlets for her community of Bremerton, Washington. While the pandemic has put a damper on many social activities, Susan wanted to find safe ways to connect with her community. With the support of city officials, she has organized numerous family friendly cruise nights and car shows around the area. You can learn more about those events by visiting the Cruisin Bremerton Facebook group.

A still of Susan Christopher welcoming visitors to a car show on September 4, 2020. Video by Canalside Photography and Stan Young.

All in all, Susan told me that over time, she realized her purpose and reason for being in prison was to make a difference in others’ lives. In total, Susan had 57 different roommates while incarcerated. For these women and hundreds of others, she has served as part of their support network both during and after incarceration. Many of them still reach out to her today to tell her how her journey has been an inspiration to them.

Susan Christopher behind the camera photographing cars at a car show. Photography has always been a passion of hers and with some encouragement from others, she has started to sell some of her work. Photo by Everett Allison.

Speaking of her journey since incarceration, Susan feels her successes are on the quiet side, but that is how she likes it. She appreciates getting messages and hugs from those who she has impacted. She said she now feels like, “I am worthy, and I do have a place in this world…It may not be standing up and winning awards, but I have a certain satisfaction now that I’ve never had before. People are watching me, looking up to me, and they appreciate me.” We at SPP see you and so appreciate you, Susan.