Purpose

This guide helps a correctional facility, reentry nonprofit, probation or parole office, or workforce program set up and run the Banking and Credit Rebuilding class. It is written for the staff member who will coordinate the program. It respects the real limits of these settings: security rules, no internet, tight schedules, and changing rosters.

The class is education, not financial, legal, or tax advice. The materials are designed to work on paper, with no internet required.

What you need to run it

People

• One coordinator (your staff) to schedule, enroll, and host.
• One facilitator. A co-facilitator with lived reentry experience is strongly encouraged.

Space

• A room that seats your group with tables to write on.
• A whiteboard or flip chart is helpful but not required.

Materials (we provide or help you print)

• Facilitator guide (one)
• Student workbooks (one per participant)
• Pre and post assessments (one set per participant)
• 90-day follow-up survey (for after release)
• Partner contact list for your area
• Pens or pencils allowed by your facility

Technology

• None required. No internet, no tablets needed. Everything works on paper. If tablets are allowed, the same content can load locally.

Fitting the schedule

• Standard: six weekly sessions, about 90 minutes each.
• Compressed: three sessions of about three hours, useful for short program windows.
• Stretched: twelve sessions of about 45 minutes, useful for tight attention or strict schedules.

Pick what fits your population’s length of stay and your room availability. The facilitator guide notes how to split each week.

Enrollment

• Group size: 8 to 20 works well. Up to 25 with two facilitators.
• Open enrollment or fixed cohort both work. Fixed cohorts make pre/post measurement cleaner.
• Have participants choose or receive an ID code for their forms so you can match pre and post without using names.

Security and privacy

• Materials contain no contraband risk: paper workbooks and pens approved by your facility.
• We do not collect Social Security numbers, account numbers, or PINs. Tell participants this.
• Store completed forms in a secure place. Share only summary numbers with funders or courts, never individual names or records.
• If your facility requires content review, send the facilitator guide and workbook ahead of time. They are written for this setting.

Roles and responsibilities

Facility coordinator

• Schedules sessions and books the room.
• Enrolls participants and assigns ID codes.
• Hosts the facilitator and handles clearances.
• Stores forms securely.

Facilitator (ours or trained by us)

• Delivers the sessions using the facilitator guide.
• Gives and collects pre/post assessments.
• Keeps boundaries: education only, no personal financial or legal advice.

Partners (outside)

• Credit unions, CDFIs, legal aid, and workforce programs that take referrals for one-on-one help after release.

Step-by-step setup

1. Pick your schedule format and dates.
2. Confirm the room and any content review.
3. Decide group size and enrollment method.
4. Print or receive materials. Confirm pen and paper rules.
5. Assign ID codes.
6. Run session one. Give the pre-assessment first.
7. Run sessions two through six.
8. Give the post-assessment at the end of session six.
9. Share the partner contact list and get follow-up consent.
10. Reach out at 90 days for the follow-up survey if the person agreed.

Measuring success at your site

• Attendance and completion (share who finish at least 5 of 6 sessions).
• Knowledge gain (pre vs post score).
• Confidence change (pre vs post).
• Behavior at 90 days (from the follow-up survey).

Report these honestly. They show learning and early action, not recidivism. We do not claim a recidivism effect without a credible evaluation. (See the pilot evaluation plan.)

Common challenges and fixes

• Roster changes: Use the compressed format or a rolling start so people who leave early still get value.
• Low literacy: The workbook is plain language. Facilitators read items aloud and allow verbal answers.
• Strong emotions around court debt or child support: Facilitators stay calm and route to legal aid. They do not give legal advice.
• No follow-up contact after release: Get consent and a contact method in week six. Partner with the reentry org for follow-up. Report the response rate honestly.

What we provide

• All materials, ready to print.
• Facilitator, or training for your peer facilitator.
• Outcome templates and a short results summary for funders.
• Help building your local partner list.

To set up a program, contact Financially Sovereign Academy at dalia@thesovereign.academy or book a consultation at https://meetings.hubspot.com/dalia-platt.

Educational content only. Not financial, legal, or tax advice. Created by Dalia, Financially Sovereign Academy.