VIRGINIA - Campus Within Walls

Ann Cavan, Regional Principal
Lunenburg Correctional Center


Population Served: Men who are incarcerated at Lunenburg and Greensville Correctional centers

Program Description: The “Campus within Walls” program started in January 2011 in two Southside Virginia prisons, Lunenburg and Greensville Correctional centers and offers postsecondary education to incarcerated students to reduce recidivism upon their release. The Virginia Departments of Corrections, Correctional Education, and Southside Virginia Community College partnered to answer Governor McDonnell’s call for reduction of recidivism. The Campus Within Walls program’s innovative approach focuses on degree completion in a fast-track, technology-rich, dormitory, and learning community environment. Incarcerated teaching assistants with college degrees also reside with students and provide academic support.

Unique Features: Incarcerated students are housed together, thus creating a collective sense of pride and determination among a community of learners.