Court probation reform is viewed in the context of a social system established to execute concrete functions. Court reform initiatives denote changes designed to make the court probation system more efficient. Court probation reform should be concurrent with general functions of penal law, retain a certain order of social relations, and use probation supervision to protect social goods the state regards as valuable. In addition, court probation reform should treat the probation officer as an autonomous legal institution within the framework of the court probation system. The probation officer should determine which probation measures are effective in protecting society against crime and should play a significant role in decisions about punitive measures. The court probation system should focus on the effective resocialization of offenders. Costs of various probation measures are assessed, and the organizational structure of adult court probation is considered. 22 footnotes