UBB Student Spotlight
Image courtesy of the Washington Coalition for Parole
Nick Hacheney has been a resident of WSR for 14 years and a supporter of UBB from its early days. He has participated in all the LSJ mixed enrollment classes as well as countless seminars. Nick is also a part of the leadership of the Concerned Lifers Organization and regularly attends the Black Prisoners Caucus. For the past seven years he has been developing the vermiculture program as well as other sustainability projects.
Nick has joined the UBB team as the Sustainability Clerk. This is a new partnership with the Sustainable Practices Lab, the Sustainability in Prisons Project, and UBB. Nick’s primary duties will be to provide training and education for a certification process for individuals currently working in the vermiculture program. This is a 1,000 hour certification in conjunction with Tilth Alliance and SPP. Referred to as a “world-renowned worm expert,” Nick was instrumental in building the WSRU vermiculture program, now one of the largest in the nation, and he recently co-authored an article on his work in the journal Biocycle, entitled “Correctional Facility Adopts Multiple Food Scraps Practices.” He is an avid environmentalist and believes that the combination of education and sustainable practices is one of the most powerful agents of change. Nick will also be working with the current UBB TAs to expand educational opportunities on sustainability issues as well as contributing to the ongoing work of UBB.
Over the years, Nick has been heavily involved in so many courses and programs that UBB offers at WSR. He is an outstanding student and person, and is an excellent example to the rest of our students, showcasing great leadership skills. We admire his passion for social justice and sustainable practices, and we are so proud of his new position as the Sustainability Clerk with us at UBB!
Check out Nick's speech on the power of sustainability at a TEDx event, Turning Keys, that the Monroe Correctional Complex hosted back in the spring of 2014.