SUMMARYThe function of the probation service has been the discretionary management of the tension between control and care. There was a time when officers could make these discretionary decisions with relative confidence, but structural pressures, together with the decline of the correctional/treatment model have made this more difficult. This has led to arguments for the separation of control and care functions. A recent attempt has been made to re-instate the correctional/treatment model and this is discussed but found to be unconvincing. The author presents his own argument for retaining discretion and describes how he believes it should be managed.