Sustainable Growth at Monroe Correctional Complex
Monroe Correctional Complex is expanding its gardening efforts by breaking acres of new ground outside the secure perimeter. Working closely with food managers, crops were identified that could be readily utilized in the menus. With supervision from a few dedicated staff, begged and borrowed from across the hill, a handful of offenders have planted large amounts of tomatoes, eggplant, spinach, and corn, as well as some peas.
The gardens continue to bloom inside the secure perimeter with the proliferation of raised beds constructed from the salvaged materials from the prison’s mattress recycle center.
The resident worms are also thriving. The population of Washington State Reformatory Unit (WSRU)’s sericulture program is nearing 5 million and consuming 6,000 pounds of food waste per month and eager for more. Offenders have recently completed 20 new bins each with 5,000 worms apiece designed to propagate the pop
ulation. Nine of these bins were exported to the other units on campus to start worm programs there.
If you are interested in starting a sericulture program at your facility, please contact one of these prisons currently running a program:
- MCC contact-Donna Simpson
- SCCC contact-Chris Idso
- CCCC contact-Steve Blahut