Previous research studies have found that educational progress while incarcerated serves to reduce the likelihood of reincarceration. The New York State Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) expands on this research by studying the effects of earning a GED on return-to-custody rates. The study presents data which compare recidivism rates of inmates who earned their GED (General Equivalency Diploma) while incarcerated in the New York State DOCS with inmates who were released from the department with no degree. All inmates released for the first time in 1996 from DOCS were selected for inclusion in the study. Inmates released were divided into 3 groups: (1) earned a GED in DOCS (n=2,330); (2) admitted to and released from DOCS with no degree (n=9,419); and (3) admitted to DOCS with a degree (high school or greater) (n=4,868). The major finding of this study was that among inmates first released from DOCS’ custody in 1996 due to parole release, conditional release, or maximum expiration of sentence, those who earned a GED while incarcerated returned-to-custody after a 3-year exposure period at a significantly lower rate (32 percent) than offenders who did not earn a GED while incarcerated (37 percent). The relationship between GED attainment and return-to-custody was stronger among offenders who were under age 21 at release than among inmates who were 21 years of age or older at release. These results validate the importance of the department’s emphasis on preparing inmates under the age of 21 to pass the GED exam. Tables and references