EARLIER STUDIES OF PROBATIONERS WERE ABLE TO COME TO ONLY LIMITED CONCLUSIONS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROBATION ASSISTANCE AS THEY WERE LACKING DATA ON COMPARABLE OFFENDERS WHO WERE RELEASED WITHOUT PROBATION ASSISTANCE. THE PRESENT STUDY COMPARES THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF 154 PROBATIONERS RELEASED EARLY AND ASSIGNED TO PROBATION OFFICERS TO A CONTROL GROUP OF 30 PROBATIONERS RELEASED EARLY WITHOUT PROBATION ASSISTANCE. IN ADDITION, THE IMPACT OF THE TYPE OF CONFINEMENT (TRADITIONAL PRISON, HALFWAY HOUSE, SOCIAL-THERAPEUTIC INSTITUTION) ON RECIDIVISM WAS EXAMINED. A DETAILED METHODOLOGICAL SECTION EXPLAINS THE CRITERIA USED TO SELECT OFFENDERS SO THAT CONTROL GROUP AND STUDY GROUP WOULD BE TRULY COMPARABLE. THE MOST IMPORTANT RESULT OF THE STUDY IS THAT THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF THE STUDY GROUP 3 YEARS AFTER RELEASE WAS 11 PERCENT BELOW THAT OF THE CONTROL GROUP. THIS EVIDENCE FOR THE VALUE OF PROBATION ASSISTANCE IS ALL THE MORE IMPRESSIVE SINCE THE CONTROL GROUP INITIALLY HAD A BETTER CHANCE FOR REMAINING FREE OF CRIME THAN THE STUDY GROUP. IN ADDITION, THE OFFENDERS RELEASED FROM A HALFWAY HOUSE OR SOCIAL-THERAPEUTIC INSTITUTION WERE FOUND TO HAVE LOWER RATES OF RECIDIVISM THAN THOSE RELEASED DIRECTLY FROM A CONVENTIONAL CLOSED PRISON. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT A COMBINATION OF SOCIAL-THERAPEUTIC CONFINEMENT AND PROBATION ASSISTANCE MAY CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE PREVENTION OF RECIDIVISM. THE ARTICLE CONTAINS STATISTICAL CHARTS AND A SHORT BIBLIOGRAPHY. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)