3 lessons · about 24 minutes
Advocacy in Everyday Practice
Three practical lessons with exercises and optional multiple-choice practice.
For: Advocacy, Professionals, Loved Ones, People Affected by Crime, Community at Large
HAB UNIVERSITY · COURSE CATALOG
Practical learning for life during and after incarceration—and for the people, workplaces, and communities connected to that return.
37 courses113 lessons18 learning pathsAlways free
Start anywhere. No prerequisites, tuition, or required pace. Study times are estimates.
Start with your role
These paths connect lessons across the library. Everyone is welcome to explore any course.
The IncarceratedPreparing for Your Own ReturnLoved OnesYour Life When Your Person Comes HomeAdvocacyAdvocating Alongside Returning PeopleGatekeepersOpening Clear Paths to Work and HousingLawmakersUnderstanding Reentry in Daily LifeMediaCovering Reentry Accurately and RespectfullyCommunity at LargeWelcoming Returning NeighborsProfessionalsCoordinating Support People Can UsePeople Affected by CrimeYour Information, Choices, and Boundaries
Explore the course catalog
37 courses
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Advocacy: Speaking Up About Barriers
Turn a concern into a clear request, then keep track of the response.
For: Adult advocates, returning people, loved ones, and community organizers.
Lessons in this course
- Turn a concern into a specific ask
- Prepare a short advocacy meeting
- Track an advocacy response accurately
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Advocacy: Supporting Reentry With Respect
Stand alongside people facing barriers and represent what they tell you accurately.
For: Adult advocates, volunteers, peer organizers, and community or faith groups.
Lessons in this course
Open course →3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Advocates: Boundaries & Sustainable Support
Help in a way you can keep doing. Agree on what’s wanted and recognize when someone else needs to step in.
For: Adult peer advocates, volunteers, and organizers working alongside returning people or loved ones.
Lessons in this course
- Agree on what advocacy help is wanted
- Recognize when a question needs another professional
- Set a support workload you can sustain
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Building a Workable Daily Routine
Build a day you can actually manage, with room for things to change.
For: Adults building a first-week routine or trying to make an existing schedule more manageable.
Lessons in this course
- Start a week with the fixed times
- Break a large task into the next small step
- Restart a plan after something changes
3 lessons · about 24 minutes
Clear Meetings and Follow-through
Three practical lessons with exercises and optional multiple-choice practice.
For: The Incarcerated, Loved Ones, Advocacy, Gatekeepers, Lawmakers, Media, Community at Large, Professionals, People Affected by Crime
Lessons in this course
Open course →3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Community: Living Alongside Returning Neighbors
Welcome someone returning home without prying. Learn how to handle real concerns respectfully.
For: Adult neighbors, coworkers, community members, and faith groups.
Lessons in this course
- Understand supervision without guessing someone’s rules
- Offer an ordinary welcome without demanding a story
- Respond to a concern without turning it into a rumor
10 lessons · about 50 minutes
Digital Life
Been away from everyday technology? Practice using it without having to pretend you already know.
For: Anyone getting comfortable with a phone or computer.
Lessons in this course
- Get comfortable with a smartphone
- Create and use an email account
- Protect a new account
- Texting and video calls
- Use a browser
- Search without getting pushed into a scam
- Open and find a PDF
- Scan and attach a document
- Fill out an online form
- Recognize everyday buttons
3 lessons · about 15 minutes
Employment & Work
Put your experience into words an employer can use, and get ready to apply.
For: Anyone preparing to find work or start a job.
Lessons in this course
Open course →3 lessons · about 24 minutes
Everyday Household Skills
Three practical lessons with exercises and optional multiple-choice practice.
For: The Incarcerated, Loved Ones, Advocacy, Gatekeepers, Lawmakers, Media, Community at Large, Professionals, People Affected by Crime
Lessons in this course
Open course →4 lessons · about 20 minutes
Everyday Life
Practice everyday tasks that may be new or unfamiliar. Start where you are.
For: Anyone finding their way through changed daily routines.
Lessons in this course
- Use a calendar and reminder
- Recognize everyday buttons
- Handle an unfamiliar store or delivery
- Make an appointment
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Everyday Problem-Solving
Sort out what you know, then choose a next step you can take.
For: Adults managing everyday setbacks, with or without a supporter.
Lessons in this course
- Separate what you know from what you suspect
- Compare two practical next steps
- Review what happened and adjust
3 lessons · about 15 minutes
Family & Relationships
Life together may be different now. Practice talking about what each person needs.
For: Returning people and their loved ones.
Lessons in this course
- Talk about expectations before they become conflict
- Offer help without taking over
- Make room for a changed household
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Gatekeepers: Fair Access to Work & Housing
Look at what an application actually requires and how to give someone a fair chance at work or housing.
For: Adult employers, supervisors, housing providers, and others who control access to opportunities.
Lessons in this course
- Distinguish a record from a job requirement
- Make a housing process understandable
- Set everyday expectations without singling someone out
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Handling Difficult Conversations
Say what you need to say, and know how to ask for a pause when a conversation gets hard.
For: Adults working on everyday communication with family, housemates, or supporters.
Lessons in this course
Open course →2 lessons · about 10 minutes
Health & Appointments
Get your questions ready so you can make better use of your appointment.
For: Anyone organizing care or appointments.
Lessons in this course
Open course →2 lessons · about 10 minutes
Housing
Work out where to look for housing and what to ask before you commit.
For: Anyone looking for a place to live.
Lessons in this course
Open course →3 lessons · about 15 minutes
IDs, Documents & Paperwork
Find the official instructions for the paperwork you need. Keep track of what’s still missing.
For: Anyone gathering documents or working through forms.
Lessons in this course
- Make a document checklist
- Find official replacement-document instructions
- Keep paperwork and confirmations organized
2 lessons · about 10 minutes
Justice-System Literacy
Find the rule or form you need and check where it came from.
For: Anyone trying to understand a justice-system document.
Lessons in this course
Open course →3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Lawmakers: From Reentry Policy to Daily Life
Look past the headline numbers. Ask how a policy works in daily life and listen to the people living with it.
For: Adult lawmakers, legislative staff, policy researchers, and civic participants.
Lessons in this course
- Ask what a reentry outcome actually measures
- Trace a policy through an ordinary day
- Use lived experience without overstating it
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Loved Ones: Keeping Your Own Life and Support
Your life still counts. Make room for your own responsibilities and the people who support you.
For: Adult loved ones who want to help without becoming the only source of support.
Lessons in this course
- Keep space for your existing life
- Build a support circle beyond one person
- Make a check-in plan for yourself
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Loved Ones: Reconnecting at a Realistic Pace
You don’t have to pick up exactly where you left off. Talk about what has changed and what you each hope for.
For: Adult loved ones preparing for emotional and relationship adjustments after a return.
Lessons in this course
- Separate hopes from promises
- Get to know each other in the present
- Use small agreements when rebuilding trust
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Loved Ones: Sharing a Home Again
Make room for someone coming home while respecting the life and routines already in the house.
For: Adult partners, relatives, friends, and housemates preparing to share a home again.
Lessons in this course
- Name the routines that will change
- Agree on privacy and shared space
- Renegotiate chores and practical responsibilities
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Making a Learning & Training Plan
Choose something you want to learn and make a practice plan you can stick with.
For: Adults returning to study or exploring training without committing before checking the details.
Lessons in this course
- Choose a skill you want to practice
- Compare training before committing
- Create a short practice routine
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Media: Reporting on Returning People
Report on people coming home with accurate language and enough context to tell the story fairly.
For: Adult journalists, editors, creators, and community communicators.
Lessons in this course
- Check the legal status before naming it
- Decide which personal details a story needs
- Tell a fuller story without promising an outcome
3 lessons · about 15 minutes
Money & Banking
Get familiar with everyday banking and make a plan for the bills.
For: Anyone wanting a plain-language starting point for money tasks.
Lessons in this course
- Understand a bank account and debit card
- Make a small plan for bills
- Understand credit and electronic payments
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
People Affected by Crime: Information, Choice & Boundaries
Find information and support on your terms. You decide your boundaries around contact or reconciliation.
For: Adults affected by crime who are considering what another person’s return means for their own life.
Lessons in this course
- Find the right place for release-information questions
- Decide your boundaries without pressure to reconnect
- Ask for support centered on your own needs
3 lessons · about 24 minutes
Plans That Can Change
Three practical lessons with exercises and optional multiple-choice practice.
For: The Incarcerated, Loved Ones, Advocacy, Gatekeepers, Lawmakers, Media, Community at Large, Professionals, People Affected by Crime
Lessons in this course
Open course →3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Professionals: Coordinating Practical Reentry Support
Help people get useful referrals without leaving them caught between conflicting plans.
For: Adult service providers, case workers, educators, and community support staff.
Lessons in this course
- Explain what your role can and cannot do
- Make a referral the person can actually use
- Identify conflicts across a support plan
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Recognizing Scams & Pressure
Something feels off about an offer or message? Practice checking it before you respond.
For: Adults rebuilding digital confidence and anyone helping them check unfamiliar offers.
Lessons in this course
- Pause when a message pressures you
- Check a suspicious link without opening it
- Recognize a job offer that asks for money
3 lessons · about 15 minutes
Reentry & Supervision Basics
Make sense of the instructions you’ve been given and work out who can answer your questions.
For: Anyone preparing to return or managing next steps.
Lessons in this course
- Build a short release-day plan
- Ask clear questions about supervision
- Find the right place to ask about services
3 lessons · about 24 minutes
Support on Your Terms
Three practical lessons with exercises and optional multiple-choice practice.
For: People Affected by Crime, Loved Ones, Advocacy, Professionals
Lessons in this course
Open course →3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Supporting Someone Coming Home
Work out what help you can offer someone coming home without promising more than you can manage.
For: Adult loved ones, friends, and supporters preparing with someone returning home.
Lessons in this course
Open course →2 lessons · about 10 minutes
Transportation
Work out how to get where you need to go, including the trip home.
For: Anyone getting to work, appointments, or services.
Lessons in this course
Open course →3 lessons · about 24 minutes
Welcoming People in Everyday Life
Three practical lessons with exercises and optional multiple-choice practice.
For: Community at Large, Gatekeepers, Professionals, Loved Ones, Advocacy
Lessons in this course
Open course →3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Working With Service Providers
Keep track of what a provider told you and what to do when you’re still waiting.
For: Adults seeking community help and supporters assisting with calls or paperwork.
Lessons in this course
- Prepare a focused service inquiry
- Separate confirmed, pending, and unknown
- Follow up when you are still waiting
3 lessons · about 21 minutes
Workplace Communication
Practice asking for clear instructions and talking through problems at work.
For: Adults starting a job, returning to work, or practicing with a supporter.
Lessons in this course
Open course →Learn what helps today.
Use a single lesson, follow an audience path, or return whenever you need a refresher. Optional practice questions use examples and do not determine anyone’s readiness, eligibility, or future.
HAB University is a free practical learning library, not an accredited college or a professional certification program.
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