Information came from a literature review, from a mail and telephone survey of 21 city or county probation agencies and 27 State departments or local branches, and an intensive study of 9 sites. Two groups of coping strategies were found: internal strategies, which focused mainly on the internal workings of an organization, and external strategies, which involved networking and support-building in the larger communities. Among the internal strategies were organizational redesign, costs and performance measurements, and human resource development. External strategies included mobilization of community resources, improvement of working relationships with the criminal justice system, and public education. Three effective systems are described in detail: the Missouri Division of Probation and Parole, the Contra Costa County Probation Department (California), and the Philadelphia Adult Probation Department. Footnotes, charts, annotated list of 60 references.