Prisoner reentry continues to be identified as an important issue in the public affairs arena, and a proposed initiative would offer new funding to support transitional services for returning inmates. Education generally does not top the list of identified reentry issues, but education can be appropriately identified as a potent solution. It is critically important to document and disseminate information about the educational needs of prison inmates, about the connection between education and post-release employment success, and about the connections between successes in prison-based educational opportunities and other social issues critical to reentry. A federally funded national project that should help shed light on this connection is currently underway: The National Assessment of Adult Literacy. The last national assessment was done in 1992. It documented literacy levels in the free community and the low functional level of State and federal prison inmates. Since 1992, prison populations have grown and changed, so a new assessment is needed. The NAAL assessment process has been greatly expanded since 1992. It will provide much more in depth knowledge of literacy skills and skill gaps--especially of the low literate population. A carefully controlled random sample of 1,200 inmates from across the country will be assessed.