Most offenders thought finding employment was important, and most thought jobs they had a realistic chance of getting were underpaid. Very few offenders ever had a continuous job or a job they considered to be fulfilling. While employment itself was no guarantee of a crime-free life and 20 of 47 offenders had some type of job at the time of conviction, a job that generated interest and sufficient income to live beyond subsistence level was viewed as a good incentive to give up offending. Young offenders were particularly unclear about their future employment goals, and many had not participated in voluntary courses while incarcerated. Adult offenders seemed to have more direction, and only a few regarded themselves as career criminals. Adults were concerned about how to approach employers. Getting over negative effects of imprisonment and coping with realities of daily life complicated the search for employment. Prison and probation officers identified the fluctuating prison population as a barrier to offering employment-related programs. Many employers hired ex-offenders, recognizing they represented a large pool of potentially skilled labor. Some employers, however, did not hire ex-offenders because they felt they were undeserving or posed risks to company staff. 38 references and 7 notes