IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, PROBATION OFFICERS FREQUENTLY SERVE AS COUNSELORS FOR SPOUSES WITH MARRIAGE DIFFICULTIES. THIS PRACTICE DATES BACK SOME 130 YEARS TO THE WORK OF THE 'COURT MISSIONARY' (NOW PROBATION OFFICER) WHO WAS ENTRUSTED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF DEALING WITH THE CAUSES OF CRIME, INCLUDING MATRIMONIAL BREAKDOWNS. CURRENTLY, WHEN A MAN OR WOMAN IS SENTENCED TO A TERM OF IMPRISONMENT, HE OR SHE IS INTERVIEWED BY A PROBATION OFFICER BEFORE LEAVING THE COURT TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS ANY IMMEDIATE PROBLEM; FREQUENTLY THERE IS MATRIMONIAL DISCORD WHICH HAS BEEN A CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR IN THE CRIME. THE PROBATION OFFICER SEES THAT SOME HELPING ACTION IS TAKEN IMMEDIATELY, AND THE WELFARE OFFICER AT THE PRISON HOUSING THE CLIENT CONTINUES TO WORK WITH THE OFFENDER INDIVIDUALLY OR THROUGH GROUP WORK. BESIDES RECEIVING REFERRALS THROUGH THE COURTS, PROBATION OFFICERS ARE OFTEN CONTACTED DIRECTLY BY TROUBLED SPOUSES OR PERSONS WHO KNOW OF FAMILIES WITH PROBLEMS. IT IS WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE PROBATION OFFICER TO TAKE ACTION IN SUCH CASES. FREQUENTLY THE PROBATION OFFICER WILL INITIATE COUNSELING WITH ONE OR BOTH PARTIES. SOME CASE HISTORIES ARE BRIEFLY PRESENTED. WHEN DIVORCE CASES ARE BEING BROUGHT BEFORE THE COURT, IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE LAWYERS INVOLVED OR THE MAGISTRATE TO REFER THE COUPLE TO THE PROBATION OFFICER ON DUTY IN THE COURT TO PURSUE THE POSSIBILITY OF RECONCILIATION. THE OFFICER GENERALLY HELPS THE PARTIES TO LOOK AT ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR SITUATION AND ASSESS THE ATTITUDES THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE BREAKDOWN OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP. FOLLOWING SUCH A CONSULTATION, THE OFFICER INFORMS THE COURT ABOUT WHETHER A RECONCILIATION HAS BEEN EFFECTED. STATISTICS ON THE NUMBER OF MATRIMONIAL CASES HANDLED BY PROBATION OFFICERS, THE NUMBER OF MARRIAGE BREAKDOWNS BY LENGTH OF MARRIAGE AND AGE OF SPOUSES, AND A LIST OF 25 CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS IN MARITAL PROBLEMS IS PROVIDED. (RCB)