The study, prompted by a concern for the ineffectiveness of prison education programs to improve the educational level of inmates, was conducted for the purpose of investigating the effects of short term or extended tasks and financial incentives on the educational activity and achievement of the young prison inmates. The sample consisted of inmates from the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), Tallahassee, Florida, who had completed high school and were functionally literate. Inmates were assigned to two classes--the control group and the experimental group--on the basis of their work schedule. Instructional materials used in the two classes were the same. Classroom procedures for the FCI adult program included individualized instruction. Inmates set their own pace and teachers gave help only when needed. Money rewards were doled out according to the achievement of the inmates. Two experiments were conducted--with and without incentive. Financial incentive was found to be associated with increased educational activity and achievement, and educational activity to be positively correlated with changes in achievement. In general, data from the two experiments provided mixed findings. (PT)