WRITINGS OF PRISON OFFICIALS AND OTHERS WHO CLAIM THAT PRISONERS ARE UNABLE TO WORK OR ARE NOT INTERESTED IN WORKING ARE QUOTED. STATING THAT THE PROBLEMS WHICH FACE WORK PROGRAMS IN MANY SOUTHEASTERN ASIAN PRISONS ARE LITERACY, LACK OF WORK BACKGROUND, AND LACK OF PHYSICAL ABILITY, THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON THE CENTRAL PRISON IN MADRAS, INDIA. A SURVEY OF 102 MEN FINDS THAT THE MEDIAN AGE IS 27.7 YEARS AND THAT MOST ARE IN THE PRIME WORKING YEARS FOR INDUSTRIAL LABORERS. NEARLY TWO-THIRDS ARE INDIVIDUAL OFFENDERS, NOT MEMBERS OF GANGS, AND ARE SERVING TERMS FOR A FIRST OFFENSE. THE MEDIAN TIME IN PRISON IS 2.4 YEARS, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY HAVE NOT BECOME 'HARDENED' TO PRISON LIFE. ABOUT 50 PERCENT HAVE BEEN IN THE INSTITUTION LESS THAN A YEAR. THE LITERACY RATE IS RELATIVELY HIGH (72.6 PERCENT) BUT ONLY A FEW HAVE HAD ANY WORK EXPERIENCE BEFORE ENTERING THE PRISON. STAFF MEMBERS CALL THEM DISCIPLINED AND CAPABLE OF USING TOOLS AND MACHINERY. THE MAIN PROBLEM IDENTIFIED IS LACK OF INTEREST IN THE WORK. THE OLDER PRISONERS AND THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE PROGRAM THE LONGEST TENDED TO HAVE SPECIFIC GRIEVANCES, USUALLY CONCERNING THE WORKING CONDITIONS, THE MONOTONY OF THE WORK, OR THE LACK OF RELEVANCE TO JOBS OUTSIDE THE PRISON. INMATES ARE USUALLY ASSIGNED TO THEIR WORK WITHOUT ANY CONSIDERATION OF PERSONAL PREFERENCE OF SKILLS. MORE THAN HALF WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE ASSIGNMENTS FOR SPECIFIC JOBS THEY LIKE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT CONSULTING WITH THE PRISONER WOULD IMPROVE MOTIVATION AND WORK PROGRAM RESULTS. TABLES PRESENT STUDY DATA. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)