Information was gathered from a literature review; a survey of over 500 agencies and over 1,100 officers; and visits with 27 offices around the country. Training is being provided in substantial measure and covers diverse subjects ranging from orientation and general work skills through presentence investigations, probation law and legal issues, and community resources, to law enforcement and counseling. However, while 82 percent of the probation officers reported receiving training in the past 2 years, those probation officers in small agencies who have received no training during this period are estimated to be responsible for the supervision of over 63,000 persons and to be assigned 43,000 presentence investigations a year. Moreover, most (57 percent) local agencies reported providing no entry-level training and 43 percent reported having no inservice training during 1978. The organizational arrangements under which probation officers work vary greatly. Some work as outreach social workers and small town streetworkers, while others work as preinvestigation specialists or enforcement agents. Pervasive professional efficacy problems exist in small probation agencies, hampering officers' work and morale. Tables, 14 references, and the survey instrument are included. (Author abstract modified)