The Harvard Students for Prison Reform (HSPR) hosted its first conference this weekend, drawing about 100 Harvard students, area residents and prison reform advocates to discuss issues related to the American criminal justice system.

The conference—titled “Unlocking Prisons: Re-thinking the Crisis and Creating a Network for Action”—was a day-long event that featured nine workshops, focusing on issues ranging from prisoner experience to convicts’ rights.

“It was really geared around building a bridge between those concerned about prison issues and activists working in the field,” said Eddie A. Bruce ’04, HSPR member and conference organizer.

Peter Wagner of the Prison Policy Initiative, a Massachusetts organization that researches economic and electoral issues related to prisons, delivered the keynote address.

Describing the often ignored role that prisons play in our society, Wagner called on the audience to help change what he called a deeply flawed system.

The United States has one of the highest incarceration rates among industrialized nations, with more than 2 million people behind bars, according to HSPR literature. More than half of the prison population is functionally illiterate.

Several local and national advocacy groups sponsored workshops, including the American Friends Service and Desis Rise Up and Move (DRUM).

Three Harvard seniors—Ezra S. Tessler ’02, Peter R. Santina ’02 and Alexander B. Horowitz ’02—ran a workshop in which they presented their senior theses, written on topics related to problems in the contemporary criminal justice system.

HSPR, in its first year as a campus organization, has been looking to play a more active roll on campus.

Last year, HSPR branched off from Prison Ed, a group which had worked to raise awareness about political issues around incarceration among Harvard students.

“With this conference, our goal was to not only spark greater student interest in prison issues but get students at the different Harvard schools involved and talking with community members,” said Keramet A. Reiter ’03, a HSPR member who is also a Crimson editor.

Many students said they were surprised at how many community members were involved in the event.

Students who attended the conference said the workshops were very informative and presented prison issues in a comprehensive way.

“I was impressed with the gravity of the prison situation and the political powerlessness of these people who have a very compelling stories to tell but [with] no one in the power [who] wants to listen,” said Peter P. Buttigieg ’04.