Important group work initiatives are traced, and different methods and models used in the Probation Service of England and Wales are reviewed. Positive as well as contentious developments that have resulted from the What Works movement and new accredited programs promoted through the Pathfinder Project are discussed. Group work with specific offender groups is examined. The fundamental arguments of the author are that ownership, the process of personally validating new experiences, is important and that effective group work practice relies on handling spontaneous processes as much as it depends on following prescribed contents. 54 references