The findings show that approximately 65 percent of male Federal inmates had been unemployed at the time of their arrest; this increased to 77 percent for the younger male offenders (under age 25 at admission). An additional 32 percent had been unemployed for 90 percent or more of the time before their arrest; this proportion increased to 50 percent for males under age 25. Since April 1995, 78 percent of all Federal male inmates had not completed a high school education at the time of intake; this proportion increased to 89 percent for men under age 25. Among this group of younger offenders, 55 percent had not completed 10th grade, and 19 percent had not gone beyond the 8th grade. If these educational deficits have not been addressed during the time these men are under Federal sentence, they are at high risk of returning to a life of unemployment after their release, which will probably increase their risk of reoffending. Data for this study were obtained from the Offender Intake Assessment, which is administered to every new inmate admitted into Federal custody. 2 tables, 2 figures, and 6 notes