THIS CONCEPT OF SENTENCING INCLUDES A NUMBER OF DECISIONMAKING PROCESSES THAT TAKE PLACE BEFORE, AFTER, AND OCCASIONALLY IN PLACE OF COURT PROCEEDINGS. SUSPENDED SENTENCE, CONDITIONAL DISCHARGE, PROBATION ORDER, PRISON ALLOCATION, EARLY RELEASE ON PAROLE, AND CUSTODY AND CONTROL (REPLACING IMPRISONMENT), ARE EXAMPLES OF 'SECONDARY' SENTENCING. 'PREPRIMARY' SENTENCING DIVERTS A CASE FROM FORMAL JUDICIAL PROCEDURE, AS IN SOCIAL WORK INVOLVEMENT IN LIEU OF PROSECUTION. SECONDARY SENTENCING IMPLIES THAT COURTS' DECISIONS ARE SUBSEQUENTLY AMENDED BY OTHER AGENCIES, AND PREPRIMARY DECISIONS AFFECT OFFENDERS EVEN BEFORE GUILT HAS BEEN ADMITTED OR ESTABLISHED IN COURT. TO VARYING DEGREES OF FORMALITY, PACS IS INVOLVED IN ALL OF THESE PROCESSES, ARISING FROM ITS ORIGINAL FUNCTION OF SUBMITTING SOCIAL INQUIRY REPORTS FOR USE OF THE COURT WITH BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE OFFENDER. MOREOVER, COURT ORDERS OF SUPERVISION DIRECTLY CALL UPON PACS IN ITS PRIMARY ROLE OF CARING FOR OFFENDERS. BESIDES THEORETICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE QUALIFICATIONS, MOTIVES, AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR SENTENCING, PRACTICAL QUESTIONS ARE RAISED ABOUT PACS ABILITY TO BALANCE TIME AND MANPOWER BETWEEN ITS TWO DUTIES, CARING FOR OFFENDERS AND INFLUENCING SENTENCING PROCESSES. (MRK)