The film opens with a search by parole officers for a parolee who broke the terms of his parole and went into hiding. From the standpoint of the parole official, it then traces the course of the parole process, from initial hearing to the eventual success or failure of the parolee's rehabilitation. Discussion focuses on the reasons for parole, demonstrates the extreme and varied demands placed on the system, and evaluates parole's overall effectiveness. Much of the film is based on the daily activities of individual parole officers in New York. A discussion guide accompanies the film. (Author abstract modified)