Part reportage, part investigation and part sociology, this book begins with the premise that the prison system does not really help reduce crime in Britain - that, in fact, it often makes hardened offenders out of often petty criminals. The author supports the alternative of probation schemes and in this book he looks at the experiences of a group of young offenders on a probation programme in Britain, looking at individuals, the crimes they have committed, their circumstances and the problems they face.