ProgramsOur Programs in Washington State Prisons
SPP delivers a wide range of programs across all 10 Washington State prisons, mostly in the form of environmental education, conservation, and restorative nature programs. DOC offers and operates many other programs including sustainable operations and community contribution programs. In 2025, Washington’s 10 prisons reported 159 programs and 208 partner and ally organizations.
Environmental
Education
Education is integral to SPP’s programs. SPP aims to make the most of both formal and informal education opportunities and to offer new knowledge and new practice to incarcerated students.
This 4-credit, peer-led course provides the academic fundamentals of small-scale food production. Topics include plant cultivation, healthy soils, garden placement, beneficial insects, and pest management. Learn More
This 2-credit, peer-led course builds on previous work in Washington State prisons and aims to provide foundational knowledge of composting science, techniques, and applications. Learn More
SPP offers science and nature workshops across Washington facilities. Topics are wide ranging and have included nature drawing, tree top ecology, marine biology, indigenous weaving practices, beekeeping. Learn More
Roots of Success was a 50-hour, peer-led environmental studies course teaching job readiness and green-economy skills. Over its 10-year run in Washington prisons, more than 1,600 incarcerated adults graduated from the program. Learn More
Ecological Conservation
SPP’s conservation programs encompass a huge range of activities and topics including hands on work with rare and endangered species.
With the guidance of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Zoo, SPP partners (Evergreen and WA Corrections) rear and release federally-endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies. Learn More
SPP is a leading contributor to South Salish prairie restoration, funded by CNLM and JBLM, growing plants used by agencies like USFWS and WDFW. Learn More
The northwestern pond turtle, a state-endangered species, faces a treatable but poorly understood shell disease. WDFW, PAWS vets, Woodland Park Zoo, and Oregon Zoo partner to treat and care for these turtles at Cedar Creek Corrections Center. Learn More
In partnership with the Washington Beekeepers Association, SPP offers 4 levels of beekeeping certification at almost every prison in Washington. Learn More
Restorative Nature & Sustainable Living
Prisons are essentially small cities, operating 24/7. They can be extremely costly and resource-intensive. WA DOC has made a strong commitment to sustainability in prisons. Major sustainable operations initiatives include greenhouse gas emissions, energy, waste, and potable water use reductions.
The Washington Way (WA Way) is a partnership between the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) and Amend at the University of California, San Francisco. It introduces a health-centered approach to transforming correctional culture within Washington’s prison facilities and Reentry Centers.
Composting with bugs turns food scraps and plant waste into rich soil while teaching the quiet work of decomposition. Learn More
Community
Contributions
SPP celebrates the many Community Contribution programs in facilities across Washington. These programs are administered and supported by hundreds of diverse organizations across the state.
WA prisons uphold SPP’s “throw nothing away” ethic, turning waste into value — from quilts and refurbished computers to food bank produce. These programs’ impact and generosity are best captured in statewide numbers. Learn More
Dog and cat programs are common in prisons across Washington. Nearly all of Washington’s prisons have formed one or more partnerships with community nonprofits to create pet programs. Learn More
Sustainable
Operations
SPP brings nature inside prisons for the numerous benefits it can provide for people living and working in prisons. They can be extremely costly and resource-intensive. WA DOC has made a strong commitment to sustainability in prisons. Major sustainable operations initiatives include greenhouse gas emissions, energy, waste, and potable water use reductions.
Composting Protocols
The first edition of the Composting Protocols manual includes a guide for food waste collection, food waste processing, and using bokashi and vermiculture techniques to compost in the corrections environment along with other facilities, organizations, and individuals.
Programs by Facility
In 2025, Washington’s 10 prisons reported around 159 sustainability-related program and named 208 partner organizations across the state.
- Airway Heights Corrections Center
- Cedar Creek Corrections Center
- Clallam Bay Corrections Center
- Coyote Ridge Corrections Center
- Monroe Correctional Complex
- Olympic Corrections Center
- Stafford Creek Corrections Center
- Washington Corrections Center
- Washington Corrections Center for Women
- Washington State Penitentiary
Together, we imagine what’s possible
Sustainability thrives on community. Be part of a unique collaboration that bridges
education, environmental justice, and rehabilitation in real, tangible ways.
Once a year, SPP reports on all things sustainable happening in Washington State Prisons.