The program's first training cycle began on January 28, 1991 and involved 42 inmates. Participation in the 180-day program is voluntary and is open to inmates under age 35 who are of minimum security risk and who meet several other eligibility criteria. Inmates who successfully complete the program can serve the remainder of their sentence in a community-based program. The program aims to develop responsible decisionmaking, development of self-direction and a positive self-image, and sustained employment in the community. The program excludes the summary punishment used in other shock incarceration programs. The evaluation will include a process evaluation, a comparison of participants with a matched sample, an analysis of post-release behavior, and a cost analysis. The program cannot be directly compared with other prison programs, because its participants are exposed to more self-improvement opportunities than would be the case in other minimum security prisons. Nevertheless, conversations with participants and correctional personnel indicate that the program has had a positive start. Table, figure, notes, and 2 references