The result is that U.S. probation services are underfunded relative to prisons and serious felons often go unsupervised. This encourages offender recidivism and reinforces the public view that probation is too lenient and lacking in credibility. Even so, probation has much unrealized potential. Recent research shows that properly designed and implemented probation programs can reduce recidivism and drug use. Moreover, offenders view certain probation programs as more punitive than short-term prison terms, and the public seems increasingly willing to support intermediate sanctions for nonviolent offenders. More experimentation and evaluation are needed to determine whether adequately funded probation systems can protect society and rehabilitate offenders. Consideration is paid to juvenile and adult probationers, the origin and evolution of probation, the role of probation in the sentencing process, factors influencing who receives probation versus prison, probation conditions, probation caseloads, and probation organization. A profile of persons placed on probation is included, and ways of improving probation services are noted. 105 references, 3 tables, and 10 figures