Immediately after the probationer and officer interviews, the subjects were asked a series of open-ended questions that invited assessments of the recently completed probation interview and comments on expectations and anxieties about probation. Results indicate that the probation interview and subsequent officer activities focus primarily on providing practical help to the probationer, i.e., helping to relieve job, income, accommodations, and family problems. Little attention is given to the client's personality and psychological development or the modification of problem behaviors. The probation officer rarely commented on the control or surveillance aspects of probation. Interviews with the officers and clients indicate that both perceived probation as a means of helping the client resolve practical problems. These findings suggest why probation has decreased in use compared to imprisonment. The courts and the public do not perceive it as being sufficiently punitive nor effective in modifying criminal behavior. This means that if probation is to be used as a noncustodial option for serious and repetitive offenders, it must emphasize client control. Otherwise, probation will be reserved only for minor offenders who need practical help in dealing with basic problems of living. 1 note.