The first section presents specific cases which illustrate many of the triumphs and disappointments of juvenile probation work, epitomized by chronic institutional gaps and agency cross-purpose. One chapter outlines some of the common characteristics of these cases and presents a theory of juvenile delinquency as an outcome of the failure of formal and informal, social and personal, controls on several systems-levels. The second section generally deals with the practice, outcome, and ideology of probation casework; the chapters discuss how probation officers discharge their duties, ration their limited time and resources, overcome patterns of official evasion, obtain consent to their case plans, and cultivate a system of reciprocal patronage with the operators of nontraditional residential institutions. Statistical and literary methods are used to measure the effectiveness and equitableness of court actions in the disposition of juvenile cases. The author concludes that our "no-fault society" may not be capable of implementing necessary reforms in the juvenile justice system which will require the cooperation of families, schools, communities, and workplaces to integrate children into society.