The offenders in the sample were slightly younger than the general release population, were proportionally more likely to be serving their first Federal term, and were more likely to have a sentence for a violent crime. The participants generally had a very poor school background. Inmate satisfaction with ABE was above average in comparison with satisfaction with other core inmate programs. Inmates also expressed greater satisfaction with the intrinsic literacy aspect than with the skill training part of ABE. Inmates who completed an ABE-8 program started with a score of Grade 6.6 and achieved a final level of Grade 9.4, for a 42 percent improvement. Those who failed to complete ABE-8 had an average starting score of Grade 4.9 and an average final score of 6.1, for a 25 percent improvement. The grade-level gain had a modest but significant impact on offender release programs. The study sample was a group with higher than average risk in comparison to the general inmate population; program completers experienced improvements of 5-30 percent in their rates of readmission. Findings indicated that ABE participation provides significant benefits for offenders and contributes to their safe reintegration into the community. Tables, figures, footnotes, and 23 references