ABSTRACT
Probation represents the routine court response to delinquency
cases. For the delinquent probation becomes a period of trial dur-
ing which his activities and character are under constant scrutiny
and evaluation by court personnel. Most delinquents pass un-
scathed through this probationary trial and lose contact with the
court. A few do not escape so easily, finding their moral character
discredited and facing the prospect of incarceration as a conse-
quence of this encounter. These respective outcomes are deter-
mined within the framework set by the nature and contingencies
of probationary supervision.
