The prisoners, all young men and all recidivists, reported that aftercare or supervision did not influence their lives after their conditional release from prison. When questioned about specific elements in the Finnish aftercare program, however, they had definite responses. They said the boardinghouse accommodations provided by the aftercare program were not suitable for released prisoners because these arrangements made it difficult to leave their criminal careers. They also reported difficulties in finding and keeping jobs and did not make use of or know about job placement services offered by Finnish labor force authorities. The prisoners complained of employer and co-worker prejudice as well as a lack of opportunity for job skill training. To their fragile employment situation they brought negative feelings and attitudes as well as drinking problems. Their problems with obtaining and keeping employment led the ex-prisoners to become welfare clients. The prisoners all condemned the supervision dimension of aftercare, although they acknowledged the economic benefits provided by a semi-official aftercare organization and acknowledged that they might benefit from the help of a support person. 48 references.