To support a conference that will, for the first time, gather leaders of schools of public health to focus a public health lens on the problem of incarceration in the US. This conference,“A Public Health Approach to Incarceration: Opportunities for Action,” will motivate public health schools to conduct research, educate students and alumni, work with local community-based agencies, and inform policy makers on strategies to reduce the harm done by incarceration and identify alternative approaches to public safety based on public health science and practice.