THE BRITISH PROBATION SERVICE ENCOMPASSES FOUR LEVELS AT WHICH DECISIONS ARE MADE AND WHICH FORM THE MARKETS FOR INFORMATION (GIVEN THAT INFORMATION IS A NEEDED COMPONENT OF DECISIONMAKING): THE RECIPIENTS OF THE SERVICE, WHO NEED LEGAL, PRACTICAL, AND PERSONAL INFORMATION; THE OFFICERS, WHO NEED INFORMATION TO PASS ON OR TO USE IN BETTERING THEIR SKILLS; THE LOCAL MANAGEMENT, WHO NEED INFORMATION TO SET CRITERIA AND THEN TO MONITOR THE EXTENT TO WHICH THESE CRITERIA ARE MET; AND THE GOVERNMENTAL LEVEL, WHICH NEEDS INFORMATION FOR POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE DECISIONS. THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR PRACTICAL DECISIONMAKING AT THE VARIOUS LEVELS IS INADEQUATE, POORLY FOCUSED, AND NOT USED. RESEARCHERS SHOULD HAVE A CLEARER ORIENTATION OF AT LEAST SOME RESEARCH TOWARDS POLICY AND PRACTICE DECISIONS. FURTHER, COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE RESEARCHERS AND THE PROBATION PERSONNEL ARE NEEDED. SOME INFORMATION SERVICES ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE THAT SHOULD BE FURTHER TAPPED, SUCH AS THE BRITISH LIBRARY, SOME LOCALIZED INFORMATION PROJECTS, AND AMERICAN AND BRITISH ABSTRACTING SERVICES. YET THE PROBATION SERVICE ITSELF MUST TAKE STEPS TOWARD BETTER AND MORE UNIFORM RECORDKEEPING, AND BETTER DISSEMINATION THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CLEARINGHOUSE OR A NATIONAL CENTER. APPROXIMATELY 40 REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.