PRINCIPAL PROBATION OFFICERS RECORDED THE MEAN CASELOAD SIZE FOR MALE PROBATION OFFICERS AT THE END OF 1970, AND A GREAT DEAL OF DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY EXISTED. OFFICERS IN 46 OF 47 AREAS SUPPLIED INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR RECRUITMENT RECORD OVER THE 6-YEAR PERIOD FROM 1965 TO 1970. FOURTEEN AREAS APPOINTED ONLY TRAINED STAFF, WHILE OVER 70 PERCENT OF OFFICERS APPOINTED IN TWO AREAS WERE INEXPERIENCED DIRECT ENTRANTS. DATA ABOUT CASELOADS AND DIRECT ENTRANTS WERE COMBINED. THE RESULTS HIGHLIGHTED THE CONTRAST BETWEEN URBAN AND SUBURBAN/RURAL AREAS. IN URBAN AREAS, 57 PERCENT OF OFFICERS REPORTED BOTH HIGH AVERAGE CASELOADS AND A RELATIVELY HIGH PROPORTION OF UNTRAINED APPOINTMENTS. A FURTHER 36 PERCENT OF URBAN AREAS HAD LOW AVERAGE CASELOADS BUT A HIGH PROPORTION OF DIRECT ENTRANTS. IN SUBURBAN/RURAL AREAS, 59 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS CLAIMED LOW AVERAGE CASELOADS AND A HIGH PROPORTION OF TRAINED APPOINTMENTS. IN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE PROBLEMS OF RECRUITING STAFF ARE PARTICULARLY ACUTE, CASELOADS ARE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY POLICY DECISIONS NOT TO APPOINT DIRECT ENTRANTS. THE NECESSITY FOR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN EFFECTIVE CASE WORK PRACTICE IS DISCUSSED, AND SUPPORTING DATA ON CASELOADS AND DIRECT ENTRANTS ARE PROVIDED. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)