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Issues in Criminal Justice (JF)
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H.O.P.E. for Reducing Prison Populations and Recidivism |
An article in Governing highlights successful probation program in Hawaii that features swift but immediate punishment for persons found violating any one of their probation provisions.
Created five years ago by Circuit Judge Steven Alm, the Hawaii Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (H.O.P.E.) program has achieved extraordinary results: 80 percent reduction in missed appointments, 86 percent reduction in the incidence of drug use and 50 percent reduction in recidivism.
As a new judge, Alm found the established system of punishing violators "a crazy way to try to change anyone’s behavior." Instead of sending probation violators to prison for five, 10 or even 20 years, he proposed a kind of correctional time-out consisting of brief but immediate punishment, returning them to jail for only a few days.
Experts believe that when combined with a strategy of "focused deterrence," H.O.P.E. could reduce the U.S. crime rate and prison population by 50 percent in 10 years. Nevertheless, questions remain: If a dramatic new approach to crime reduction has been found, why aren't other states using it?
For more information on probation and parole, visit Justice Fellowship’s resource page. |
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