Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC)
Program | Program Partners | Highlights as of December 2020 |
Roots of Success, environmental course | Roots of Success | More than 400 grads so far, 13 instructors certified; now temporarily suspended due to COVID-19. |
Environmental Workshop Series | Guest experts from nonprofits, agencies, business, etc. | Temporarily suspended due to COVID-19; previous year successful with 671 attendees (a decrease due to the move to a smaller room), seminars also launched in Jan 2019 with 117 attendees in FY 19; 112 certifications awarded. |
Special Events | Participated in a community art show that displayed art work by incarcerated individuals throughout the community. One large piece of art, a dragon door, sold for $1,500. All proceeds went to Aberdeen High School for scholarships. | |
Beekeeping | Expert community beekeeper, Washington State Beekeepers Association | 5 hives; graduated two Beginner Beekeeper classes this quarter; 93 Beginner/Apprentice beekeepers so far! |
Prairie Conservation Nursery | Center for Natural Lands Management, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Zoo, Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship, Whidbey-Camano Land Trust, Friends of Puget Prairies, and Wolf Haven International | SCCC held 8 workshops prior to covid-related pause; Technicians earned 10 certificates and 1 specialist certificate; In the previous year, cultivated 63,000 prairie plants for habitat restoration; held 20 workshops on restoration ecology |
Emergent Vegetation Mats | Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Center for Natural Lands Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord | In previous year, 36 emergent wetland mats and 10,000 plugs for habitat restoration installed at Oregon spotted frog sites and monitored for efficacy; 19 education sessions for technicians in 2019-2020 |
Gardening curriculum development | MCC, Institute for Applied Ecology, TX Dept of Corrections, Oregon Food Bank | 4 S2S Curriculum reviewers, 11 authors/participants in gardening classroom curriculum development group |
Gardens and greenhouses | Coastal Harvest Food Bank, Harvest Now | 25,000 ft2 of gardens, donated ~66,000 lbs. of produce to food banks |
Lifer Garden | Coastal Harvest Food Bank, Harvest Now | 5,000 ft2 garden tended by Lifers, growing produce and ornamental flowers |
Food Bank fundraisers | Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Caring for Kids, Toy Time, Bicycles from Heaven, Bears from Behind Bars, Coastal Harvest, Beyond Survival, Spokane Valley Partners Food Bank and Family Services, Making a Difference for Grays Harbor Kids, After School All-Stars | Incarcerated individuals and staff raised and donated ~$20,000 for nonprofits and donated 3,732 food items to Coastal Harvest Food Bank |
COVID-19 Community Fundraiser | 4 local businesses | $913 was donated to Family Promise; $1,205 was donated to SCCC sustainability account for incarcerated people; $165 was donated to the incarcerated redemption account |
Pollinator plantings | Pollinator plants in every garden and next to greenhouses; new garden adjacent to bee hives | |
Flower gardens, boxes, baskets | Flowers gardens throughout the grounds, two more outside the fence | |
Fruit orchard | Outside the fence, planted 15 blueberry bushes and 2 each of cherry, Liberty apple, Chehalis apple, Italian plum, and Orcas pear trees | |
Bird houses | More than 40 bird houses on the grounds | |
Sustainability channel | Institutional TV channel plays compilation of sustainability program photos and facts, environmental and event videos, and event and job announcements; content updated monthly! | |
Large-scale composting | Diverted 161 tons food waste to composting | |
Waste sorting & recycling | Diverted 223 tons of metals, cardboard, paper, and plastics to recycling in past year; new sound system broadcasts deterrent to scavenger birds | |
Water catchment | Water catchment at each living unit (for living unit gardens) and at greenhouse; 3,210 gallons capacity | |
Bicycle Repair | Lions Club | 292 bikes repaired and donated in past year |
Wheelchair Repair | Wheels for the World | 212 wheelchairs repaired in past year; shipments postponed due to COVID-19 |
Freedom Tails | Harbor Association of Volunteers for Animals (HAVA) | Program inactive, needing new partner. In the previous year, 7 dogs graduated |
Service dogs for veterans | Brigadoon Service Dogs | 8 dogs trained to the needs of individual veterans in past year |
Toy Time | Christmas for Kids, Correctional Industries | Temporarily suspended due to COVID-19; started by 2 incarcerated individuals 15 years ago and has grown to 21 people last year; materials come from furniture shop scraps and community donations; crafts donated for holiday season |
Articles about SCCC
2020
2019
Rolling out wetland plants for the Samish Indian Nation
Aquaponic knowledge, from one program to another
Fly Like An Eagle to the Sea, No More I See
Happy Halloween from Stafford Creek Corrections Center
Peer education created by and for incarcerated gardeners
Origin Story of a Compost Program
What is the goal for tomorrow?
Pathways to Successful Re-Entry
Growing a Gardening Curriculum
2018
Wolves: More like Humans Than You Would Think!
Art of the Oregon silverspot butterfly
Welcoming New Roots of Success Instructors
Caring for the Community with Coastal Harvest
Trying to Find a Balance: The Emergent Vegetated Mats (EVM) Project
Standing in the gap for each other: Environmental wisdom from Roots of Success
Liaisons are our Roots for Success
2017
Turning a new leaf with emergent vegetated mats!
Climate Change Symposium in Prison: Incarcerated people creating solutions
Beekeepers are hard at work at Stafford Creek
Bright colors speak loudly for the hard work being done at Stafford Creek!
What do the students get from SPP lectures? Part Two
The Challenges—and Opportunities—of a New Program
From SPP to Water for the World
What do the students get from SPP lectures? Part One
2016
What is an Aquatic Emergent Pre-Vegetated Mat?
Adding Salt to Popcorn: Gaining a taste for sustainability
Princess Remington and Pele: Royalty in a prison classroom
Just Sustainability and Restorative Justice
Nothing like an octopus in prison!
2015
Roots of Success Graduation Speech
2014
Photo Gallery from Roots of Success Graduation at Stafford Creek Corrections Center
SPP’s New Lecture Series Certification
2013
My First Two Months Working at SPP
2012
CNN Visits Stafford Creek Corrections Center
New Tilapia Program at Stafford Creek Corrections Center
Spring and Cold Moisture Storage at Shotwell’s Landing and Stafford Creek Corrections Center
2011
2010
Inmates Restore Prairie, Make Video to Teach Others
Growing Plants and Potential: Stafford Creek Nursery Project
Earth Day, Sustainable Prisons Project Style
Bird Conservation Project Taking Flight at Stafford Creek Corrections Center
2009
Beekeeping prisoners: Science inside the fence
Green-collar kites: Inmates share their ideas for sustainability