By addressing probation violations in a swift, certain, and proportionate manner, Hawaii's Opportunity Probation With Enforcement (HOPE) has reduced both probation violations and revocations of probation, allowing probationers to break the cycle of recidivism.
An evaluation of HOPE funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) found that, compared with probationers in a control group, after 1 year, the HOPE probationers were 55 percent less likely to be arrested for a new crime, 72 percent less likely to use drugs, 61 percent less likely to skip appointments with their supervisory officers, and 53 percent less likely to have their probation revoked. Consequently, HOPE probationers served 48 percent fewer days in prison, on average, than the control group. HOPE probationers are initially given a formal warning by a judge that offenders enrolled in the program will be given an immediate brief jail confinement for violations. Probationers with drug issues are randomly drug tested. Non-drug-involved offenders must comply with their probation conditions and may be required to attend treatment. When probationers violate the conditions of probation, they are arrested or an arrest warrant is issued. The probation officer who detects a violation completes a "Motion to Modify Probation" form and sends it to the judge, who promptly holds a violation hearing. Upon completing a brief jail term, the violator resumes participation in HOPE. Each violation after the first is met with a lengthier jail term. Four sites in different States have implemented a strict replication of HOPE in order to determine its effectiveness in varied contexts. 1 note
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