Avon Hart-johnson

Contributing Faculty
College of Psychology and Community Services
Ph.D. Human Services

Avon Hart-Johnson, PhD is the president and founder of DC Project Connect, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization whose mission is to provide crisis support, advocacy, and psychoeducational services for families affected by incarceration. She chairs the International Advocacy in Action Coalition, working-group for the International Prisoner Family Conference organization and is a board member and elected vice-chairperson for the International Coalition of Children With Incarcerated Parents. She is an advocate in the Washington, DC/MD/VA area, serving on the Bail Reform Committee for PG County; Rethink Justice DC as chairperson of the Halfway House committee working group, and is a member of the Reentry Action Network, DC. She co-authored the Mass Incarceration Continuum white paper, cited as the Human Rights Issue of the 21st Century. Her latest book is titled, 'African American Women with Incarcerated Mates: The Psychological and Social Impacts of Mass Imprisonment' [McFarland].
Dr. Hart-Johnson is a contributing faculty member at Walden University School of Human and Social Services, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She is a current faculty advisor for the National Society of Leadership and Success and an outgoing faculty advisor for Tau Upsilon Alpha (TUA) Alpha Chi Honor Society, and former Director of Social Media for Golden Key Honor Society. She is the 2018 Walden University Outstanding Alumni Award winner.

Courses Taught

HUMN 8207 - Grant Writing

HUMN 9001 - HUMN-9001-76/COUN-8560-76/SOCW-9000-76-Dissertation2019 Fall Quarter 08/26-11/17-PT27

HUMN 6152 - Human Services Administration

Education

PhD, Walden University

MS, George Washington University

MS, Walden University

Public Service

DC Project Connect, Board of Directors - Washington

International Prisoner Familly Conference, Board Member - Dallas

Vice President: International Coalition of Children of Incarcerated Parents, Board of Directors - Manchester

Advocacy in Action Coalition, Chair - Dallas

ReThink Justice, Washington DC, Committee Member - Washington

Young Women’s Initiative​​​​ Juvenile, Committee Member - Washington

Community Family Life Speakers' Bureau|Steering Committee, Committee Member - Washington

Presidential Inauguration , Volunteer - Washington

Internaltional Coalition of Children with Incarcerted Parents, Board of Directors -

Awards / Honors

2018 Outstanding Alumni , Walden University, 2018

Advocacy in Action Coalition Advocate Award, International Prisoner Family Conference, 2018

Tau Upsilon Alpha - Alpha Chi, Walden TUA, Alpha Chi Honor Society, 2018

Publications

Hart-johnson, A. M. (2022). Caregivers Family Relations Assessment and Communication Strategies (C-FRACS): Bibliotherapy Storybooks for Children with Incarcerated Parents. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences

Hart-johnson, A. M. (2022). “Mommy, I Want to Talk to My Dad”: Exploring Parental Incarceration, Bibliotherapy, and Storybooks. Open Journal of Social Sciences

Hart-Johnson, A. M., Johnson, G. A. (2020). Prison Staff and Family Visits: United Kingdom Case Study. Humanities and Social Sciences

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2017). African American Women With Incarcerated Mates: The Psychological and Social Impacts Of Mass Imprisonment.

Hart-johnson, A. M. (2017). Gaining access to socially stigmatized samples. The Qualitative Report

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2019). Baby Star Finds Happy.

Hart-Johnson, A. (2017). PARENTAL INCARCERATION AND CHILDREN.

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2018). Advocacy for Children’s Rights: Physical Contact during Prison Visits.

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2017). Jamie's Big Visit: Grownup Timeout.

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2018). Prison Staff who Shape Child and Family Visits: United Kingdom Multiple Case Study .

Presentations

Hart-Johnson, A. M., Benoliel, B., Johnson, G. A. (2018). A Qualitative Multiple Case Study: Prison Staff Philosophies, Practices, & Family Prison Visitation in the United Kingdom| NOHS, 2018. Walden University (RDS to be submitted)

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2016). Advocacy in Action Keynote Address. Self

Hart-Johnson, A. (2018). A Child’s Right: Visitation With An Incarcerated Parent. Arizona State University

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2015). Diversity through Inclusion: African American Women with Incarcerated Mates-The Silent Majority. Self

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2016). Family Healing During the Incarceration Crisis. DC Project Connect

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2017). From Victim to Advocate: Pathways to Empowerment. DC Project Connect

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2016). CSOSA . CSOSA

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2015). Diversity through Inclusion: African American Women with Incarcerated Mates-The Silent Majority. Self

Hart-Johnson, A., Johnson, G. (2018). Contemporary Research And Analysis. CBC

Hart-Johnson, A. (2018). From Victim to Advocate. WAR

Hart-Johnson, A. (2018). Vicarious Restorative Justice. WAR

Hart-Johnson, A. (2018). Mass Incarceration - The Faces. UNLV

Hart-Johnson, A. M., Garrison, T. (2018). The Color of Justice: Strengthening the Black Family. DC Project Connect

Hart-Johnson, A. M., Hedrington-Jones, R. A. (2020). Candid Parenting Conversations. Community Family Life Services

Hart-Johnson, A. M. (2020). Closing the Empathy Gap.