THE WEST GERMAN CORRECTIONAL CODE DEFINES THE MISSION AND TASKS OF PROBATION ASSISTANCE IN HIGHLY VAGUE TERMS AS THE RENDERING OF ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT TO PROBATIONERS. THE LACK OF CLEARLY DEFINED ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND OF CRITERIA FOR MEASURING THEIR SUCCESS ARE THE CURRENTLY MOST SERIOUS THEORETICAL PROBLEMS. THE CONCRETE PROBLEMS OF PROBATION ASSISTANCE ARE MANIFOLD. ACCORDING TO RESEARCH, MANY PROBATIONERS MEET THE ATTEMPTS OF PROBATION OFFICERS WITH DISTRUST AND EVEN RESENTMENT. THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AVAILABLE TO PROBATION WORKERS--PARTICULARLY TO HONORARY ASSISTANTS--DOES NOT ENABLE THEM TO SUCCESSFULLY DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS OCCURRING IN PRACTICAL SITUATIONS. TO AGGRAVATE THIS SITUATION, MANY SOCIAL WORKERS BELIEVE THAT THE METHODS AND TECHNIQUES OF PROBATION ASSISTANCE CANNOT BE 'TAUGHT' BUT ARISE OUT OF THE INDIVIDUAL WORKER'S ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS. SOCIAL WORKERS ALSO FIND IT HARD TO RECONCILE THE TWO OPPOSITE CONCEPTS OF THEIR ROLE: THAT OF ADVISING AND SUPPORTING THE PROBATIONERS AND THAT OF ENFORCING OFFICIAL RULES AND COURT OBLIGATIONS. THE RELATION BETWEEN THE VARIOUS HONORARY AND OFFICIAL AGENCIES IS OFTEN ONE OF RIVALRY BETWEEN DIFFERENT CONCEPTS AND SPHERES OF INFLUENCE. TO REMEDY THESE PROBLEMS, EXPERTS HAVE OFFERED VARIOUS SOLUTIONS: A UNIFICATION OF THE DIFFERENT PROBATION AGENCIES, NEW AND COMPREHENSIVE FORMS OF TRAINING, AND NEW TECHNIQUES OF ASSISTANCE (GROUP COUNSELING, PARTICIPATION OF THE PUBLIC IN PROBATION ASSISTANCE). THERE IS A NEED FOR (1) SUMMARIZING ALREADY EXISTING RESEARCH ON PROBATION, (2) DEFINING THE CONCRETE TASKS OF PROBATION OFFICERS, (3) DEVELOPING TRAINING PROGRAMS IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES, AND (4) ORGANIZING THESE PROGRAMS IN THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF WEST GERMANY. THE ARTICLE CONTAINS A BIBLIOGRAPHY. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)