Rather than address probation practice, the author argues that New Zealand's probation service needs to more actively recognize and attend to the changing and crucial policy concerns that circumscribe its practice. Current trends in legislation and in penal philosophy and policy require a broader framework of intervention and a marked shift away from what remains of the old therapeutic tradition of the casework approach. Simultaneously, a major responsibility for implementing many of the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1985 fall on the probation service at a time when it is ill-prepared because of its own confusion about its role and function. To realize a priority of using probation resources and related facilities to reduce the prison population, the Probation Service must deal with the penal policies and political realities of the 1980's. These include the need to develop a local data base, to establish close liaison with other agencies and community groups, and to write social inquiry reports that address modern sentencing concerns and practices. 4 notes and 36 references