Voluntary organizations, generally nonprofit bodies, and the private sector represent the independent sector. The government believes that the independent sector can and should be involved to a much greater degree than at present in work with offenders. Further, the government wants to encourage the flexibility and potential for innovation of the independent sector to help in reducing crime. The common threat running through the discussion of the probation service is wider involvement of the community in crime prevention. What is required is a range of effective, broad-based schemes for dealing with offenders in the community. Objectives established for the independent sector by the government include the following: enable the probation service to concentrate on areas requiring its specialist skills; encourage innovation and flexibility and provide a perspective different from that of statutory agencies; and increase the range of alternatives for dealing with particular problems. Potential areas of work in which voluntary and private sectors might become more involved are examined, and an analysis of crime prevention, sentencing, victims, bail, community supervision programs, and social inquiry reports is presented. Ways in which probation services can be provided, funded, and evaluated are discussed. The importance of a partnership arrangement to deal with offenders in the community is stressed.