The 21-building, medium security Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell, WA, has been declared the nation's greenest prison:

The greenest prison in the United States reduces water consumption by a whopping 5.5 million gallons and saves its operators about $370,000 in energy costs each year. It also has a solar array that covers 16,929 square feet and relies heavily on natural light to illuminate occupied space.

It is the first prison to earn a LEED-Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The prison features low-flow fixtures, drought resistant landscaping, and an innovative heat reclamation design, among other things.