In the 1990's, the preference for narrow operational and measurable goals will curb creative practice and produce a uniformity of service provision. Justifying groups in which empowerment or social action are the main aims will be difficult. Groups tied closely with the wishes the sentencers and the requirements of the new Criminal Justice Act will inevitably push the probation service to embody the concerns of routine oversight rather than the merits of social work intervention. As probation officers take on the role of brokers rather than service providers, the form of group work and the commitment to it may change. Changes in training to reflect the interests of the Home Office will also make it unlikely that the probation service will sustain its tradition of creativity and innovation. Nevertheless, the potential remains for broad policy initiatives to be diluted or even subverted as the grassroots level.