About
Bending Bars is a campaign to raise awareness and generate support for the Civics Education Program.
Through Podcasts, testimonials, and documentaries, we aim to demonstrate the value in changed lives of bringing outstanding civics education to the most uncivil among us: those involved in the criminal justice system—including those who committed the most vicious crimes. Over the past five years, the Civics Education Program has engaged more than 300 inmates with challenging ideas about the meaning of citizenship, our moral and ethical responsibilities to each other and society, and the cultural and economic underpinnings of a society in which liberty and responsibility are jointly lived and celebrated.
The Civics Education Program is part of a broader effort to offer SensibleSchool™ to those not currently served—or not well-served, by existing educational institutions. SensibleSchool™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation; all donations are fully deductible within the law. For more information, go to www.SensibleSchool.org.
Leadership
Fred Fransen, Founder and CEO, SensibleSchool™
What does society owe to criminals? Nothing, of course. Rather, they owe a debt to us. But we owe it to ourselves to take seriously the need to prepare them for their return into society. The Civics Education Program does this in unbelievable ways. I hope you will take this opportunity to see for yourself and then get involved. It will change your life.
Our educational system serves some students well, but many terminate their education without ever learning even the basics of good citizenship. And when they do, they often make victims of others; the cost in ruined lives is enormous.
With the Civics Education Program, we’re thrilled to be able to bring high quality lessons in citizenship and other life skills to those whose actions have taken them furthest from the ideals of a healthy society by committing crimes and entering the criminal justice system.
Jim Flanagan, Executive Director of the Civics Education Program (CEP)
Jim co-founded the program in 2015 and has been working to improve access to educational resources for inmate students whether they are on the path to reentry or have extended or life sentences. CEP’s four-course series in civics, ethics, literature, and economics is one of the most successful programs offered at South Bay Correctional affecting the lives of over 300 inmates. Jim provides continual oversight for programming in Florida, is guiding expansion in Indiana and Texas, and is collaborating with Sensible School to ensure inmates receive accredited courses paving the way for them to earn a college degree.
“To understand rights and duties is tantamount to the knowledge of right from wrong and duties constitute a responsibility to basically respect the unalienable rights of others. ... So, now that I have the knowledge that I’ve gained through this class, my eyes have opened wide. Once I can resume my place in society, I will look to do whatever is within my ability to effect change through course correction by educating others and being involved in my community.”
— South Bay Correctional Student
The Civics Education Program
The Civics Education Program is a set of four courses, each twelve weeks in length, conducted in hybrid format. The program is recognized by the state of Florida, has been operating in Florida’s South Bay Correctional Facility for the past five years, and is now expanding nationwide.
Inmates with a high school diploma or GED (or with comparable abilities) read, study, and discuss basic and advanced materials in civics, ethics, economics, and literature to develop a solid understanding of the principles and practices of American civil life.
For each course, Inmates participate in weekly two-hour in-person sessions with college-level faculty and adult and student volunteers, often utilizing a Socratic, discussion-based format.
Successful completion of all four courses earns inmates a certificate and the right to participate in Civics Club, an ongoing forum in which they put their civics knowledge to use in discussion and community-building and gives them access to additional outside speaker and events.
Civics
Inmates explore the meaning and implications of the idea that we are all “created equal,” and endowed with “unalienable rights” to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” through a close reading of American founding documents.
Ethics
Inmates explore the question: “What is justice?” through an in-depth exploration of the life and thought of Socrates through Plato’s Apology of Socrates and Republic.
Economics
Inmates learn key concepts necessary for an economic way of thinking and then apply it to the institutions necessary for prosperity, the role of the government in promoting it, and the way in which the same lessons apply to their personal finances.
Literature
Through a close reading of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, inmates explore aspects of American culture and society which made it—to Tocqueville—both distinct from Europe and a premonition of Europe’s democratic future.
Civics Club
Because of the overwhelming success of CEP, we quickly learned from the inmates about their ardent desire to continue their education. In 2017, about 40 inmates approached us with the idea to form their own Civics Club. They formally drafted by-laws to govern this newfound association and still hold recurring meetings to this day. The only requirements to join the Civics Club: an inmate must have completed & passed all four courses (civics, ethics, literature, economics) of CEP and continue maintaining a clean disciplinary record. (Read More)
Current Civics Education Program Locations
FLORIDA
South Bay Correctional Facility - South Bay, Florida
The Civics Education Program is starting its sixth year at South Bay Correctional Facility in South Florida.
The South Bay Correctional Facility is a prison for men located in Palm Beach County, Florida, which is operated by The GEO Group under contract with the Florida Department of Corrections. This facility was opened in 1997 and has a maximum capacity of 1,948 prisoners.
Moore Haven Correctional Facility - Moore Have, Florida
The Civics Education Program has recently expanded into Moore Haven Correctional Facility in South Florida.
The Moore Haven Correctional Facility is a private state prison for men located in Glades County, Florida, which is operated by The GEO Group under the Florida Department of Corrections. This facility was opened in 1995 and has a maximum capacity of 985 prisoners.
Okeechobee Correctional Institution - Okeechobee, Florida
Okeechobee Correctional Institution (OCI) is located in Okeechobee Florida and holds approximately 1,600 male adult inmates of minimum, medium and closed custody levels.
The institution is considered a level VI facility. There are no vocational or educational programs offered accept for the voluntary literacy program. We are currently in discussions with facility administrators about the possibility of providing OCI's first education program by launching the Civics Education Program there.
INDIANA
Heritage Trail Correctional Facility - Plainfield, IN
Heritage Trail Correctional Facility is located in Plainfield just outside of Indianapolis and houses over 1,000 incarcerated persons.
The Civics Education Program was launched here in March 2022 and has 25 students enrolled in the program. Heritage Trail is a short-term facility which means 100% of our student population will be released in the next two years. In addition to our educational coursework, we are working avidly with local reentry resources to ensure our returning citizens are equipped to transition successfully back into their communities.
TEXAS
Wynne Correctional Center - Huntsville, TX
Wynne Correctional Unit is a men's prison located in Huntsville (north of Houston) and is the first facility in Texas where CEP will begin its programming. It is classified as a medium-security facility and houses 2,300 incarcerated persons.
In addition to multiple factories located onsite where work opportunities are provided, Wynne Correctional has career and technology classes and is the site of the Windham School District Administrative Headquarters which provides appropriate educational needs for the Texas offender population.
CEP will offer courses starting in the fall of 2022.
