Every inmate receives 27 points to distribute among their characteristics, which are all considered 'average' at 10.
All characteristics thus default to 10:
STR, CON, SIZ, and APP cost 1 to raise or grant 1 to lower,
DEX, INT, POW, and EDU cost/grant 3.
No characteristic can be reduced below 3 and none raised above 21 at this stage.
After this is done, 5 character benefits should be either spent or reserved for future use. Benefits spent on beginning advantages can and will adjust an inmate's characteristics, even above the normal human limit of 21 in some cases. Benefits can also grant an inmate various perks, or psionic abilities. Be sure to record these.
Skills have their own base ratings, either derived from the inmate's characteristics or at their own flat sum. Each inmate has had a life before prison, and thus has an occupation with associated skills, which receive 20xEDU in skill points to be distributed. These points may only go toward occupational skills.
Aside from occupational skills, every inmate has their own personal interests, and 10xINT skill points to pool into them. These points may only go toward personal interest skills.