The Lorton Prison Higher Education Project

About the Book

The history of the Lorton Project is a cautionary tale of what can happen when social policies go awry.

About the Author

Ernesta Williams works currently as Special Assistant to the Provost and Title III Officer for the University of the District of Columbia. She holds the B.A. in Philosophy and M.A. in English from Howard University, another M.A. in Administration and Supervision from the University of the District of Columbia, and the Ed.D. in Developmental Education Administration from Grambling State University in Louisiana. Dr. Williams began her academic career on the faculty of Howard University where she taught in the English Department for six years. She served for fifteen years first as a Program Analyst and then as Director of the UDC Lorton Prison College Program. She also spent three years as Coordinator of the English Component of the Academic Achievement Programs at the University of Maryland-College Park. In her current dual role at UDC, Dr. Williams is responsible for managing the institution’s three Title III grants from the U.S. Department of Education and is the Academic Affairs liaison for ceremonial events. Her professional afiliations include Phi Delta Kappa International, NAACP, and she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is also an ordained deaconness.