IT FOCUSES ON PAROLE AND PROBATION AGENCIES IN WHICH CASE FILES AND PRESENTENCE REPORTS ARE THE KEYS TO AGENCY WORK. INFORMATION DEVELOPMENT AND ACCREDITATION ARE DISCUSSED FOR FOUR LEVELS, DEFINED THROUGH THE USE OF FORMAL, KNOWN ACCREDITATION STANDARDS. SPECIFICATION PERTAINS TO STANDARDS CONTENT, THE REQUIREMENT FOR CERTAIN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, MANY OF WHICH RELATE DIRECTLY TO INFORMATION DEVELOPMENT. DOCUMENTATION PROVIDES EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT AN AGENCY HAS MET CERTAIN STANDARDS, WHILE MONITORING INSURES THAT THE AGENCY MAINTAINS COMPLIANCE WITH AGENCY STANDARDS. EVALUATION TESTS THE APPROPRIATENESS OF STANDARDS BEFORE THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS, AS WELL AS THE EFFECT OF STANDARDS ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED. EVALUATION SETS OR IMPROVES THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN AN AGENCY. ALTHOUGH STANDARD-SETTERS MAY HAVE HIGH GOALS, THEIR ADDITIONAL, PERSONAL GOALS ACCOMPANY THE PROCESS AND MUST BE EXAMINED, AS THEY ARE IN CONTROL OF ALLOCATION DEVELOPMENT IS ESSENTIAL TO PROPER ALLOCATION, CONTROL, AND SUPERVISION OF PAROLE AND PROBATION OFFICERS. BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO STANDARDS SETTING, STANDARD-SETTERS MUST CLARIFY HOW THEY CHOOSE STANDARDS. DISCUSSION INCLUDES HOW A NATIONAL DATA SYSTEM CAN CONTRIBUTE TO INFORMATION DEVELOPMENT AND ACCREDITATION. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (PAP)