The goal was to compare the success/failure rates of defendants recommended for probation at the time of sentencing with those who were not so recommended. The study also compared failure rates of persons who had a prior criminal history at the time of sentencing with those who did not. Department case file records on all persons in the Eighth Judicial District for whom a presentence investigation and recommendation were completed between July 1, 1979 and June 30, 1980 were analyzed. Of 329 cases, most involved felonies, including one involuntary manslaughter case as the most serious and 14 cases of carrying a weapon as the least serious, findings revealed that recommendations to incarcerate were made more frequently for defendants with a prior criminal history than for those who did not have such a history. Probation officers were willing to "give a break" only to first offenders, while judges appeared to be more lenient when dealing with recidivists. Of defendants recommended for incarceration but granted probation, success on probation was more likely than not. Offenders in the study had a remarkably low recidivism rate compared to studies in other localities. The authors conclude that intensive probation supervision programs, while more costly than probation, have the advantage of exercising more control over convicted felons and avoiding monetary and possible criminogenic costs of imprisonment. 44 references