The Institute for Restorative Educational Engagement (IREE) at DePaul University seeks to: 1) expand academic programming for incarcerated students, 2) provide support services for system impacted students and students with incarcerated loved ones, and 3) collaborate with incarcerated individuals on promoting civic knowledge and engagement amongst themselves and their communities. Since 2019 we have been putting this into action through civic education programming that prioritizes building civic leaders both inside and outside of carceral spaces. This programming breaks through the bars of deficits in civic education on the inside; it also challenges the narrative that incarcerated people are politically apathetic. This session will engage participants in our programming.