THE INTENSIVE SPECIAL PROBATION (ISP) PROJECTS INVOLVE ATTEMPTS TO REDUCE PROBATION CASELOADS AND TO PROVIDE INNOVATIVE SERVICES TO CLIENTS. THE PROJECTS INCLUDE SUCH UNDERTAKINGS AS THE INITIATION OF GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING, THE USE OF VOLUNTEERS OR PEERS AS PROBATION AIDES, THE DECENTRALIZATION OF PROBATION FACILITIES TO NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THE PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR SPECIAL TYPES OF OFFENDERS (E.G., DRUG OFFENDERS). THE DISCUSSION IS BASED ON A REVIEW OF 28 ISP EVALUATION REPORTS AND ONSITE VISITS TO 20 ISP PROJECTS AND ASSESSES THE STATUS OF ISP EVALUATION IN TERMS OF THE VALIDITY OF EVALUATION DESIGNS AND PROBLEMS IN IMPLEMENTING EVALUATIONS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT LITTLE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE HAS BEEN PRODUCED BY THE ISP EVALUATIONS, WHICH ARE CHARACTERIZED BY SHORTCOMINGS AND PROBLEMS COMMON TO MOST ATTEMPTS TO ASSESS SOCIAL PROGRAMS. IN SOME CASES, THE VALUE OF CAREFULLY DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED EVALUATIONS WAS LOST BECAUSE THE EVALUATION TIME PERIOD WAS TOO SHORT. FEW EVALUATIONS ACCOUNTED FOR VARIABLES WITHIN AND AROUND PROJECTS THAT AFFECT THE EXTENT TO WHICH A SINGLE PROJECT'S EXPERIENCES CAN BE GENERALIZED. MEASUREMENT AND TIMING ISSUES THAT MUST BE DEALT WITH IF ISP EVALUATION QUALITY IS TO IMPROVE ARE NOTED. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)