Contributors to this volume were asked to examine critically contemporary practice within all aspects of the Probation Service, as it reveals and interprets a commitment to enhancing justice. A commitment to the humanity of justice runs throughout all the contributions. This involves a commitment to human dignity and a valuing of individuals as ends in their own right. This involves a balanced commitment to the offender, combined with a concern for the rights of the victim and the protection of the public. Many contributors highlight how far society is failing in terms of meeting the necessary preconditions for meaningful justice. The equity and fairness on the basis of which the wrongdoer can be called to responsibility, demands "social justice." Two authors show how far Britain is falling short as measured against the UN Declaration of Human Rights. There is structural disadvantage, the racism and sexism experienced by women and black people, both as recipients of the justice system and as probation employees, which reflects oppressive processes in wider society. In reinforcing these conclusions, a paper contrasts the opportunities for greater justice provided by the 1991 Criminal Justice Act, with the retreat from justice aspirations he views as occurring since the 1992 General Election. Another author calls for the proper condemnation of wrongdoing and reparation by remedying the disadvantages of the poor and oppressed. In this "spirit" lies the interlinking of justice as due process and justice as concern for social and economic circumstances that impact both the offender and the victim. 462 references