Studies show that probation supervision is less frequently recommended for black male juveniles and that young blacks tend to receive more severe sentences and more custodial sentences than their indigenous counterparts. Little effort is being made to recruit officers from minority groups, there has been a lack of training on race relations, and many officers feel their professionalism threatened by their inability to relate to blacks. Further, explanations given for black deviance usually include such factors as mental illness, family disruption, peer group influences, or anti-authority attitudes. Few reports place the offending within the context of racism, and most tend to blame black offenders for their own disadvantage. While new initiatives are being developed that view black offenders as different as result of racial disadvantage, probation services must assess their routines and practices in the context of institutional racism and rid themselves of their traditional colorblind approach to black deviance. 8 references.