SINCE THE MIDDLE OF THE 19TH CENTURY, THE INCREASING INDIVIDUALIZATION OF PUNISHMENT HAS BEEN REFLECTED IN SUCH INNOVATIONS AS CONDITIONAL SENTENCES, CONDITIONAL RELEASE, SUSPENDED SENTENCES, PROBATION, AND SEMILIBERTY, AS WELL AS IN A RELATIVE LIBERALIZATION AND DEMOCRATIZATION OF PRISON LIFE. SUCH REFORMS HAVE REQUIRED (1) CONTINUAL EXPANSION OF THE SUPPORT SYSTEM (E.G., DIAGNOSTICIANS, AND PHYSICIANS IN PRISON, AS WELL AS SOCIAL WORKERS OUTSIDE) TO FACILITATE BETTER COVERAGE OF THE WHOLE COUNTRY, (2) COORDINATION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS TO ASSURE CONTINUITY OF TREATMENT AND SMOOTH TRANSITIONS FROM PRISON TO COMMUNITY, AND (3) A SHIFT FROM A SYSTEM OF ABSOLUTE IMPRISONMENT TO SOCIAL CONTROL THROUGH CONSTANTLY SUPERVISED LIBERTY WITH EMPHASIS ON PSYCHOSOCIAL TREATMENT OF SOCIAL HANDICAPS. THE INTENTION BEHIND THE INCREASED INDIVIDUALIZATION MAY BE A WELL-MEANING DESIRE TO ADJUST OFFENDERS TO SOCIETY, BUT THE ACTUAL EFFECT MAY BE EVEN GREATER EXCLUSION, THROUGH IMPRISONMENT WITHIN A PARTICULAR SOCIAL POSITION AND LIFE SITUATION. BENEVOLENT VOLUNTEERS ARE PROBABLY READY TO ACCEPT THE COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SOCIAL EXCLUSION BECAUSE OF THEIR CONCERN FOR THEIR CLIENTS AND THEIR DESIRE TO SEE THEM REINTEGRATED IN SOCIETY AT ANY LEVEL. THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL WORKERS RETAINING THEIR ENTHUSIASM FOR ACTION AND SOCIAL DYNAMISM WITHOUT BECOMING FETTERED AND DEMORALIZED BY SOCIOLOGICAL THEORY IS EMPHASIZED; A BALANCE MUST BE STRUCK BETWEEN ACTION AND SOCIETY'S CAPACITY FOR CHANGE. --IN FRENCH.