Character Pillars: Citizenship

Citizenship, the last character pillar in this series includes civic virtues and duties that prescribe how we ought to behave as part of a community. It's about doing more than one's "fair share" to make society work, now and for future generations. It's about developing the attitude of "it is better to give than to receive."
Community can be defined by one's hometown or region, or it can even involve sub-sections like a community of prisoners.

When I first came to prison, I found it interesting to hear frequent discussions about how to get government assistance when released from prison. It's an attitude many bring to prison with them: "What can I get for free, whether I deserve it or not?"

There's a sense of entitlement that permeates the prison population and it's my belief that this is a major cause why many people in government refuse to take us seriously when it comes to important issues like Good Time, the third-world quality of prison healthcare, and the importance of education in prison to help reduce recidivism. 

That's why I'm encouraged by a grass-roots effort in my current facility by a group of prisoners (I am part of the group) who are creating educational opportunities and facilitating or teaching classes to other prisoners. It's an effort to develop a love for education and to foster an expectation for a better future. By giving back to our own community of prisoners we're developing the citizenship quality that's important inside, and outside of prison. This sort of attitude is infectious too. It catches on as others catch the vision. 

How can you develop citizenship in yourself for the benefit of your community?