AN ADULT PROBATION SYSTEM IS NOTED TO BE ABSENT IN SOUTH AFRICA, AND PAROLE CONSISTS OF RELEASING SHORT-TERM PRISONERS (USUALLY BLACKS) BEFORE THE COMPLETION OF THEIR SENTENCES, BUT WITHOUT SUPERVISION. LONG-TERM INMATES ALSO MAY BE RELEASED WITHOUT SUPERVISION, DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF CONSIDERATIONS, AND THE CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF THE FEW IN SOUTH AFRICA, WITH LACK OF MANPOWER, FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS, AND THE CULTUREAL DIVERSITY OF THE POPULATION BEING CITED AS THE PRINCIPAL REASONS. IN THE DISCUSSION FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT ALTHOUGH COLLEGE GRADUATES WITH DEGREES IN SOCIAL WORK MIGHT BE IN SHORT SUPPLY TO SERVE AS PROBATION OFFICERS, SENSITIVE AND MOTIVATED PERSONS COULD BE RECRUITED AND TRAINED TO PROVIDE A PROBATION PROGRAM SUPERIOR TO THE ALTERNATIVE OF SHORT-TERM IMPRISONMENT. IT WAS ADVISED IN THE DISCUSSION THAT PERSONS FROM VARIOUS SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION SHOULD BE RECRUITED TO SERVE AS PROBATION OFFICERS FOR OFFENDERS OF SIMILAR BACKGROUND RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING APPROACHES ARE BRIEFLY MENTIONED IN THE DISCUSSION. THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESENTENCE REPORTS AND LEGAL AID ARE ALSO CONSIDERED. (RCB)