Friends of Island Academy (FOIA) is a non-profit organization originally committed to providing support services to male ex-offenders 16 to 18 years old who had completed their jail sentences. FOIA staff, selected from successful members of the program for several years, address groups of student inmates on Rikers Island, New York City’s corrections complex. Youth who volunteer for the FOIA program are asked to focus on responsibility for their own lives by charting their previous and future life courses. The FOIA program emphasizes education as a means to future successes and sustained employment. FOIA, in conjunction with the NYC Board of Education, conducts sessions for GED and Pre-GED/literacy. The passing rate of FOIA students on the GED is higher than the city average. An FOIA staff member teaches Life Skills and a work release parolee teaches math in supplementing the classes. In addition to literacy and educational classes, FOIA provides training in youth leadership, family involvement and job development, and mentoring and counseling services. Figure