Right on Crime has previously discussed Fort Worth’s adoption of the HOPE Court model. HOPE is a Hawaii program centered on immediate—and tough—sanctions for probation violations, rather than far-off court dates and mere slaps on the wrist. Now, more probation departments are catching on, and the trend—and successes—are spreading further across the United States.
Seattle is piloting a new HOPE-based model after collaboration between the city council, the mayor, and the police chief produced an agreement to give the program a shot. The initial program has resulted in reduced drug use, incarceration, and criminal activity, according to city officials. So far, 35 offenders on community supervision are subject to frequent, unannounced drug tests, and they can receive short jail stays—that same day—for a violating conditions.
Moreover, a chief probation officer and a Republican state representative, Ralph Foley, are working to implement the HOPE model in select counties in Indiana too.