With more resources than ever invested in the prison system, a growing number of Americans question whether or not that system is really working. Searching for answers, this six-part series of MSNBC documentaries looks at the world of the incarcerated - from the inside out. With extraordinary access to the inner workings of several correctional facilities, the series records the hopes, fears, regrets, and occasional rehabilitation of jailed convicts, while presenting commentary from wardens, corrections officers, and medical personnel. The result is a comprehensive, hard-hitting examination of life behind bars in America.

There are six 42 to 46 minute programs in this series:

INSIDE FOLSOM - "This is a horror movie." Virtually every inmate who appears in this documentary - and perhaps a few of Folsom's guards - seems to share this opinion. Viewers are guided through the prison's antiquated infrastructure, from the general population areas to the dungeon-like Cell Block 5, where the sun literally never shines. Conversations with lifers, corrections officers, and warden Diana Butler shed light on Folsom's violent culture and the procedures and programs developed to improve it. Despite rigid organization and work opportunities, the inmates interviewed tend to use the word "program" only in reference to unsupervised self-rehabilitation.

INSIDE WABASH - Situated in America's heartland among acres of Indiana cornfields, Wabash Valley Correctional Facility houses not just the state's most violent offenders but also a large population of the mentally ill. This documentary looks at the challenges of confining thousands of hardened criminals in addition to those with deep-seated psychiatric needs. Wabash psychiatrist Dr. Mary Ruth Sims describes her work with a group of self-mutilating prisoners, while superintendent Craig Hanks and his staff outline their day-to-day challenges and the operation of the prison's SHU or secure housing unit. Viewer discretion advised: additional interviews feature severely deranged inmates who give accounts of their horrific crimes.

INSIDE NORTH CAROLINA WOMEN'S PRISON - Proving that female prisoners struggle with the same conditions male convicts face, this documentary goes inside a North Carolina facility filled with 1,100 troubled mothers, sisters, aunts, and even grandmothers. Warden Annie Harvey conveys the goals and frustrations of her job, while male officers acknowledge an ongoing challenge to maintain professionalism and objectivity. Although sexual relationships among inmates are discouraged, several openly gay prisoners share what life is like for their small community and their disdain for opportunistic guards. Rampant drug addiction and substance abuse are also addressed, along with the daily drudgery of - and poignant attempts to brighten - life inside an eight-by-eight-foot cell.

RETURN TO RIKERS ISLAND - On an island adjacent to the Bronx sits one of America's most notorious jail systems, known for much of the past century as a place of inmate-on-inmate cruelty. But violence has decreased by 90 percent at Rikers since 1999. This documentary examines Rikers then and now, spotlighting the measures that have reduced conflict among a population of 15,000 offenders. New York City Department of Corrections Commissioner Martin Horn and Rikers warden Frank Squillante promote the benefits of the CPSU, or central punitive segregation unit, and TSOs, or tactical search operations that can quickly and authoritatively enter cell blocks to ferret out drugs and weapons. Issues with gangs and recidivism demonstrate that Rikers' problems are far from over.

RETURN TO VALLEY STATE - It is one of the largest women's prisons in the world, full of murderers, violent criminals, and drug dealers - but many at Valley State Prison are hoping to turn their lives around. Recorded at the jail in 2000 and again five years later, this documentary profiles three women who contemplate the severity of their crimes - ranging from manslaughter to murder - and their chances for emotional and spiritual healing. The film also features Warden Gloria Henry, whose self-proclaimed duty is to help inmates rehabilitate, and guides viewers through a typical day at Valley State, from breakfast to educational programs to addiction therapy to lights-out. The often desperate situation of pregnancy behind bars is another major topic.

THE CRIMINAL MIND - "We do not cure anybody", the director of Atascadero State Hospital's Sexually Violent Predator unit frankly admits. Nevertheless, many in the criminal justice community admire Atascadero's relentless efforts to treat the criminally insane. This documentary provides an inside look at the facility, which houses several types of offender - from MDOs, or the mentally disordered, to frighteningly disturbed SVPs - any of whom are eligible to run for a seat on the inmate governing board. Interviews with a number of residents and staff members are combined with a tour of the hospital's sophisticated departments, including a colossal pharmacy that dispenses 12,000 pills per day and an in-house, unarmed police force. At Atascadero, drugs keep the peace.