THE TEXT USES ORIGINAL SOURCES, INCLUDING MINUTES FROM THE HOME OFFICE, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROBATION OFFICERS, AND THE POLICE COURT MISSIONS. EFFORTS TO INTRODUCE A PROBATION SYSTEM ARE RELATED TO CHANGING ATTITUDES TO IMPRISONMENT AND TO CONCERN ABOUT METHODS OF DEALING WITH CHILD OFFENDERS. A NEW PERSPECTIVE IS CAST UPON THE PLACE OF THE POLICE COURT MISSIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SERVICE. DOUBTS EXPRESSED IN OFFICIAL CIRCLES ABOUT THE ADVISABILITY OF USING MISSIONARIES AS PROBATION OFFICERS ARE FOLLOWED THROUGH IN AN ACCOUNT OF THE BUILDUP OF PRESSURES FOR THE DISENGAGEMENT OF VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS, AND OF THEIR RESISTANCE. FOREMOST AMONG THE CRITICS OF THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE MISSIONS WAS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROBATION OFFICERS, WHOSE DEVELOPMENT, AT ONE STAGE UNDER THE ACTIVE PATRONAGE OF THE WEALTHY, IS A THREAD RUNNING THROUGHOUT THE WORK. THE ACTIVITY OF OTHER INTEREST GROUPS ALSO FORMS PART OF THE STORY. THE TEXT DEALS WITH THE UNIQUE ROLE OF THE MAGISTRATE IN THE PROBATION SYSTEM AND IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE SERVICE. LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THEM ARE DESCRIBED, AS ARE THE GRADUAL TRANSLATION OF THE SERVICE FROM MAINLY PART-TIME TO ENTIRELY FULL-TIME AND THE CHANGE FROM A HORIZONTAL TO A HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).