During fiscal year 1999, the Office of Correctional Job Training and Placement (OCJTP) conducted numerous activities related to its primary functions, which are as follows: (1) coordinate federal departments' and agencies' efforts related to correctional job training and placement; (2) provide training to develop staff competencies needed by state and local agencies to assist offenders and ex-offenders in gaining marketable occupational skills and job placement; (3) provide technical assistance related to development of offender employability to state and local training and employment agencies; and (4) collect and disseminate information on offender job training and placement programs and outcomes. The following were among the specific activities conducted by OCJTP within those 4 functions: (1) cosponsored the first national forum for administrators of offender job training and placement services; (2) convened 12 focus groups to elicit recommendations from inmates, ex-offenders, and corrections staff and administrators regarding offenders' employment needs and skills needed by professionals to meet offenders' employment needs; (3) initiated pilot testing of self-directed interactive software to help states replicate a prison industries program developed in the state of Washington; and (4) developed an 120-hour competency-based training program for corrections staff. (Focus group and survey results are appended, along with training participants' self-reported increases in skills.) (MN)