As the professional probation staff and citizen volunteers work together toward the common goal of successful probation, a partnership is formed between the court and the community.  In addition to helping the individual on probation, the use of the volunteers leads to an increased community awareness of criminal justice system and a greater understanding of its problems.

 Citizen volunteers add not only more help to the court or probation department, but a wide variety of help, for each volunteer offers a different background of personal experiences, talents, knowledge, and concern.  Almost everyone has something to contribute.  The volunteer may be of any profession, age, of either sex, of any religious ethnic, or economic group.  Indeed, the very diversity of backgrounds is one of the strengths of the volunteer program, for each probationer may be matched with a volunteer on an individualized basis.

 There is not typical volunteer, except perhaps the common maturity which is exhibited in the ability to solve one’s own problems and function well in society.  In order to establish a helping relationship, the volunteer must be able to relate well to others and draw upon his background and experience and apply common sense, understanding, and sincerity to the relationship.

 So effective have volunteers been that Judge Keith Leenhouts of Royal Oak, Michigan, the person most responsible for the current volunteer court-corrections movement, has said, “Volunteers may well be more that an answer to the crime problem, they may be the answer.”