The agency, headed by a social-work professional and coordinator, is called a workgroup and comprises a network of five district work circles which serve the district courts and their respective areas of the city. The membership of each self-governing work circle is responsible for its own management and operation. Responsibilities include participating in general information exchange and policy setting for the workgroup as a whole; peer consultation in problem cases; workload planning and manpower assignments in view of anticipated absences due to sick leave or vacation; and peer review of members' job performance. The circle periodically elects a spokesman from its membership who represents them at the workgroup level. The membership also jointly determines policy on admitting and training new staff into the circle. The spokesman for each circle maintains contacts with the other district circles as well as the workgroup coordinator. This system allows probation/parole officers to be in charge of determining their own caseloads and pursuing their casework with maximum personal discretion and autonomy, while remaining accountable to their professional peer group and to the juvenile justice authorities for individual cases. Seven references are given.