A study was done to determine North Carolina inmates' vocational education/training needs, parolees' and ex-offenders' employment opportunities, and available vocational education/training resources. To determine vocational educational needs, a survey was conducted of inmates at seventeen correctional units (for adults and for youth). Estimates of parolee or ex-offender job opportunities were obtained by adjusting North Carolina Bureau of Employment Research employment projections, and by examining employer hiring practices and legal employment barriers. A questionnaire was developed to determine vocational education program offerings of community colleges and private trade, technical, and vocational schools. Study results showed that (1) ninety percent of inmates (sample equalled 545) indicated an interest in taking vocational courses while in prison; yet less than nine percent were enrolled in courses; (2) although automotive mechanics was the most frequently chosen option, only nine of seventy-seven prison facilities offered training in this area. Food service, chosen by only one out of nine, was the most frequently offered; and (3) most job openings were in industrial service, office, and construction occupations. Generally, employers considered the hiring of offenders as individual decisions. Study results revealed a fragmented statewide approach to vocational education for correction inmates. (CSS)