Civics Education Program Expands into Indiana

Last month, the Civics Education Program (CEP) began working in Indiana. With the initiation of our program here, we are, officially, active in our second state!  Our Executive Director, Jim Flanagan, is teaching ‘Introduction to Civics’ to 22 incarcerated individuals at Heritage Trail Correctional Facility in Plainfield, a minimum-security facility, managed by The GEO Group.

Each Wednesday, the Civics class meets for two hours, and this initial course will last 12 weeks. Inmate students will explore: the origins of American government, read through the founding documents i.e., the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, and analyze fundamental concepts which comprise the American political order. Each student will complete a final paper outlining their understanding of their civic rights and duties and the impact this program will have for them on the path to reentry.

The goal of our program, as evidenced by our success in Florida, is to empower our returning citizens to strengthen our communities as they continue to work for positive change leading to a safer society for us all.