OBJECTIVES

In this lesson, students will:

• Learn about debtors’ prisons and their history
• Explain how court fees and fines can lead to the cycle of debt and incarceration depicted in A Debtors’ Prison
• Compare and evaluate the personal, social and civic costs of criminalizing poverty
• Report on the impact of juvenile justice policies in their town/city and describe reforms that should be implemented
• Write persuasive essays in the form of letters to their elected officials and present their research, argument and recommendations to their representatives and community leaders

GRADE LEVELS: 8-12+

SUBJECT AREAS

• Civics
• Civil Rights
• Fourteenth Amendment
• History
• Social Studies

MATERIALS

• Film, A Debtors’ Prison, and equipment on which to show it (streaming here or available on DVD through the POV Community Network)
• Student Handouts (download all handouts here)
  • Student Handout A: The Price of Justice
  • Student Handout B: A Debtors’ PrisonNotes
  • Student Handout C: Film Discussion
• Teacher Handouts
  • Teacher Handout A: The Price of Justice
  • Teacher Handout B: Jenkins v. City of Jennings
• Computers with Internet access

ESTIMATED TIME NEEDED

Two to three 50-minute class periods plus homework

PREPARATION

Viewing and discussing sensitive material:

This lesson and the accompanying film address sensitive social issues and teachers should screen the film and review all of the related materials prior to implementing it. Some of your students may have been personally affected by these issues and their perspectives and sensitivities should inform how the lesson is presented. In advance of the lesson, it would be helpful to connect with a school social worker for resources specific to your school community’s needs and guidelines.

Remind the class that the classroom is a supportive environment and review your classroom’s tools for creating a safe space, including class agreements. These might include guidelines like “no name-calling,” “no interrupting,” “listen without judgment,” “use respectful language,” “share to your level of comfort,” “you have the right to pass” and so on. And remind students that when they talk about groups of people, they should be careful to use the word “some,” not “all.”

For additional resources and strategies for tackling challenging topics in the classroom, visit Teaching Tolerance:

• Social Justice Standards | The Teaching Tolerance Anti-bias Framework

https://www.tolerance.org/professional-development/social-justice-standards-the-teaching-tolerance-antibias-framework

• Teaching at the Intersections

https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/summer-2016/teaching-at-the-intersections

• Let's Talk! Discussing Race, Racism and Other Difficult Topics With Students

https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/publications/lets-talk

VOCABULARY

• Adjudicate
• Debtors’ Prison
• Delinquency
• Indigent
• Jail
  Municipal Government
• Prison
• Recidivism