The program provided instruction and testing. It was intended to enhance inmates' functioning ability in society upon release and possibly to reduce recidivism. The curriculum, which was offered in addition to the institution's adult basic education program, focused on five skills: the identification of facts and terms, reading, writing, computation, and problem solving. The program enrolled 53 men starting in January 1980 and 39 men starting in September 1980. Pretests showed that most subjects were unable to pass the tests in the five skill areas at the 95 percent level. In addition, most of the participants preferred the life skills course to other academic programs available in the institution. Further research should focus on recidivism among program participants to determine the factors precipitating a return to prison. Institutions with high turnover or short-term populations should adapt the life skills program as a class in test-taking skills. For those who teach nonreaders and low readers, the language experience approach and the use of cassette tapes and other stimuli are recommended. Instructors should also obtain information relating to such knowledge areas as occupations and local resources and should provide this information to their students. Sample questions from the tests, definitions of the life skills, and a list of five references are provided.