A recent national survey of volunteers active in direct service juvenile and criminal justice programs revealed a total of 343,325 volunteers working in 3,906 programs. These figures may be viewed as estimates, however, due to problems with survey responses. Finding volunteers who are motivated to help others, possess the empathy needed to relate well to others, and have time to become involved is the central problem in developing successful volunteer programs. University and college students are a good source of volunteers. The use of ex-offenders or paraprofessionals working with adult offenders is effective, according to the organizations which use them. Benefits of volunteer service in prisons include supplementation of understaffed facilities, provision of specialized skills, and dissemination of information about the institution and its inmates. The volunteer provides a one-to-one relationship with an adult offender or delinquent youth and serves as a friend. Funds for volunteer programs come from various sources, such as private donations, foundations, LEAA, and local governments. Learning exercises, about 30 references, indexes, and approximately 30 footnotes are provided. For related volumes, see NCJ 83347-48, 83350-57, and 62914.