The article focuses specifically upon: (1) bringing clarity to the mission and purpose of probation; (2) building system and community support for that mission; and (3) developing a management approach that brings some sanity and hope to the probation system. The mission of the juvenile court in delinquency proceedings should be to restore peace. This philosophy of restorative justice views crime as a violation of one person by another, rather than against the State. It emphasizes problem solving for the future rather than establishing blame for past behavior. Severe punishment of the offenders is less important than providing opportunities to empower the victims in their search for closure, to impress upon the offenders the real human impact of their behavior and to promote restitution to the victims. Three programs warrant close review for integration into virtually every probation department: (1) Victim-Offender Mediation; (2) Community Service; and (3) Competency Based Interventions. Table, references