Sagebrush in Prisons
Since 2014, the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) has been working alongside the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Department of Corrections (DOC) for the Sagebrush in Prisons program. Across four states and nine prisons, IAE has been working with adults in custody to grow 3.7 million plants over the course of this program.
The program’s success is tied closely to its incredible partners and staff. With the BLM, the number of plugs are ordered each year - what amount and varietals are needed, and where materials will be planted. Genetically specific seeds are chosen for each region and the landscape needing sage to be replanted. The input from BLM helps drive the purpose of this work -- they provide seeds while arranging for the planting of plugs annually.
From there, IAE staff work with the Department of Corrections to interview and choose the incarcerated sagebrush crew members. They start the season with lessons about the program, sagebrush ecology, and explain why this work is important for these habitats. Many crew members come from high desert environments and so they are familiar with these landscapes. The hope is to empower them with the skills and knowledge to raise these crops. This helps build future resumes while also helping them to learn more deeply about this habitat, making them more informed citizens for the future. Having buy-in from the Department of Corrections is critical to this program’s success. IAE staff are hired and trained specifically to work with DOC/BLM personnel and crews in prisons. The trust, coordination, and open communication about this work between IAE and the Department of Corrections has built this program to what it is today.
“I felt that for the first time, my work while being incarcerated actually mattered.”
- Incarcerated Crew Member
For IAE, this program goes beyond sagebrush. Incarcerated crew members say the program provides things that are rare in prison environments — some autonomy, a chance for them to have peace of mind, an opportunity to benefit something outside their own lives such as landscapes with crops that have a bigger purpose. It creates space to think through life beyond prison - a place to work through their own life paths and choices. The program is as much for the benefit of sagebrush steppe habitat as it is for humans. IAE tries to create space for reflection and learning. Staff may start the work day with a breathing exercise to encourage mindfulness or a more formal lesson on soil types, proper watering techniques, basic botany or animals of sagebrush steppe habitat.
The work to revitalize these lands while supporting the incarcerated community has made this program of work unique across the West. With increased impact from wildfires, the need for more sagebrush and associated plant materials is only growing. To better match the scale of the need, IAE is seeking to grow this program and as such, has developed a model. IAE hopes to continue to provide the space to build resiliency for sagebrush habitat and people for years to come. If you're interested in learning more, reach out to IAE at spp@appliedeco.org.
