Although the probation service itself was created in 1967 in Quebec, the roots of judicial sentencing alternatives, such as using suspended sentences or the assistance of social workers, had been planted long before. The service evolved as a result of the developing penal philosophy of rehabilitation as a way to realize the goals of socially reintegrating offenders. At first, members of the criminal justice system found themselves at odds with the new probation officers. Moreover, the officers themselves had to be trained in a profession that was altogether new. Officers were recruited from new graduates of social science fields and had to bridge the gap between their academic learning and the real world of criminality and criminal justice. However, with training and intensive sessions in law, transactional analysis, crisis intervention, psychosynthesis, and drug therapy, the probation service in 10 short years succeeded in assuring the criminal justice community of its credibility and relevance. The probation service has become an integrated and vital component of the justice process. Probation officers supervise probation terms and assist probationers in coping with employment budgeting, and emotional problems. Through their presentence reports, they also play a vital role of advisor to the court. The presentence report informs the judges of the accused's social profile, dangerousness, and potential for social reintegration. Despite the involvement of the officers' subjectivity, the reports help judges determine the most fitting sentences. Probation officers conduct these reports with the utmost confidentiality, and strive for a concise, accurate, and objective representation of the facts. For greater usefulness, the service intends to vary its report in length and detail according to the needs of the courts. Overall, the probation service has proven itself to be enormously useful, and has increased its caseload accordingly. --in French.