THE SURVEY INVOLVED ALL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR MALE OR FEMALE, ADULT OR JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN THE UNITED STATES. THREE POTENTIAL VOCATIONAL PREPARATION ACTIVITIES WERE STUDIED: (A) FORMAL VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS, (B) TRAINING IN PRISON INDUSTRIES, AND (C) TRAINING IN MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE ASSIGNMENTS. SPECIFIC INFORMATION WAS SOUGHT ON TRAINING GOALS, PROGRAMS, PRACTICES, NUMBERS PARTICIPATING, STAFF, AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES. THE NUMBER OF INMATES PARTICIPATING IN WORK RELEASE PROGRAMS WAS ALSO DETERMINED. MAIL SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO ALL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND SITE VISITS WERE MADE TO 77 INSTITUTIONS. THE PURPOSES OF THE SITE VISITS WERE TO: (A) EVALUATE THE QUALITY OF THE VOCATIONAL PREPARATION ACTIVITIES, AND (B) INTERVIEW INMATES ABOUT TO BE RELEASED OR PAROLED REGARDING THE TRAINING THEY RECEIVED, AND THE RELATION OF THE TRAINING THEY RECEIVED, AND THE RELATION OF THE TRAINING (IF ANY) TO THE TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT THEY WANTED AND WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN. INMATES ABOUT TO BE RELEASED ARE A VALUABLE SOURCE OF INFORMATION CONCERNING THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF VOCATIONAL PREPARATION IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM APPROXIMATELY 70 PERCENT OF ALL INSTITUTIONS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS ARE PRESENTED IN TERMS OF THE NEED FOR VOCATIONAL PREPARATION, THE POTENTIAL CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, THE WEAKNESSESS DISCLOSED, AND FINALLY, THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING VOCATIONAL PREPARATION IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)