WITH MORE OFFENDERS ON PROBATION THAN IN DETENTION, THE JOB OF THE PROBATION OFFICER HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT AND REQUIRES THE ASSISTANCE OF VOLUNTEER WORKERS. VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE ATTRACTED THROUGH NEWSPAPER ARTICLES AND BY WORD OF MOUTH COME FROM ALL SOCIAL BACKGROUNDS AND HAVE NO SPECIAL TRAINING IN THIS FIELD. THE HAMBURG WELFARE SOCIETY (HWS) OFFERS INFORMATION COURSES FOR VOLUNTEERS TO INTRODUCE THEM TO PROBATION WORK AND ITS PROBLEMS. THESE COURSES ARE COMPLEMENTED BY ADVANCED TRAINING ON INDIVIDUAL HELP IN PROBATION. COURSES DISCUSSING SPECIAL PROBLEMS LIKE ALCOHOLISM OR LEGAL QUESTIONS ARE ALSO OFFERED. THE VOLUNTEER STARTS HIS WORK ONLY AFTER THE TRAINING HAS BEEN COMPLETED. VOLUNTEER WORK IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE OR COMPETE WITH THAT OF THE FULL-TIME PROBATION OFFICER, BUT AIMS AT COLLABORATION. THE HWS WANTS THE COURTS TO PUT THE PROBATIONER IN THEIR CUSTODY UNTIL THEY CAN FIND A SUITABLE PROBATION OFFICER OR VOLUNTEER FOR HIM. A SOCIAL EDUCATOR (PEDAGOGUE) SUPERVISES ALL VOLUNTEERS AND OFFERS ADVICE WHEN PROBLEMS ARISE. BESIDES THE USUAL ASSISTANCE IN FINDING A JOB AND A PLACE TO LIVE THE HWS OFFERS THE PROBATIONER HELP IN HANDLING HIS FINANCES. THE PROBATIONER MAKES WEEKLY OR MONTHLY PAYMENTS TO THE HWS WHICH IN TURN TAKES CARE OF HIS INSTALLMENTS TO CREDITORS WHO OFTEN DO NOT CHARGE INTEREST IN SUCH CASES. VOLUNTEER WORK HAS ITS LIMITS AND HAS BEEN FREQUENTLY CRITICIZED FOR UTILIZING INEXPERIENCED PEOPLE IN SUCH A DIFFICULT TASK. BUT THESE SHORTCOMINGS CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY OVERCOME AS THE HAMBURG EXAMPLE SHOWS WHERE VOLUNTEER WORK IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE WORK OF THE HWS. -GERMAN- (INL)