On May 21, 1999 at the National Symposium on  “The Economics of Inmate Labor Force Participation,” five prominent U.S. economists provided introductory opinions on: (1) whether inmates participating in the labor force would be good or bad for the U.S. economy, (2) what would happen to civilian labor if inmates were to participate, and (3) their recommendations for U.S. inmate labor force policies.   The Symposium was funded by The Center on Crime, Communities & Culture, of The Open Society Institute through a Grant to CRS, Inc. (Community Resource Services), and hosted by The George Washington University.