"If you come in, like me, with an associate degree," she said, "for the rest of your time you have nothing to do except go out in the yard."

The most effective way to change the DOC is through lobbying, Davis said, telling the audience to question their legislators about prison reform.

"Be informed," she said. "Hell, you're Harvard students. You can question anybody."

Williams, a 36-year-old mother of two, also stressed the importance of showing ex-prisoners how to make changes in their lives.

With three more years of parole to serve, she said she devotes her time to keeping ex-prisoners from ending up back behind bars.

"I try my best to teach women how to turn their lives around," she said.

Williams said low self-esteem often helps drive women to crime, and that the prison environment does not make women feel better about themselves.

"[The guards tell you] 'Now sit down. Now get up. No, you can't see your children. No, you can't have a pen,' "Williams said. "How are you going to fix your self-esteem when that's all you hear?"

The discussion was a part of Education for Action's "Annual Action Week." Nilufar Hossain '00, a member of the organization, said this year's theme of prison reform is a timely topic.

"It's a very salient issue right now," Hossain said.