In critically examining the U.S. prison system, our conference will examine the pathway to prison, the prison experience, and the effects of incarceration on individuals and their communities to which they are released. By focusing on this "before, during, and after" experience of prison, we hope to encourage a dialogue that explores the impact of prisons not only on the individual, but also on the greater community at large.  We will also focus on the political economy of prisons by analyzing the economic incentives that serve as motivation for private companies to build and run prisons and is used to persuade rural legislators to seek funds for the building of prisons in their districts. In addition, we will consider the economic value of prisoners as laborers, as well as the economic impacts upon the communities from which prisoners have been removed.