Relatively little is known about early probation systems in Scotland. While there has been growing interest in Scottish probation history, many aspects of early 20th century probation practice remain unexplored. This article looks in particular at the role of early juvenile probation officers, their background, their ethos, their guiding principles and methods. Probation in 1920s Scotland was a controversial topic that provoked much debate, chiefly concerning the appropriate personnel to act as probation officers and under what conditions should they operate. The article examines these debates regarding probation reform in the interwar period
