Program Profile: Hawaii Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE)

This is a community supervision strategy for substance-abusing probationers, particularly those who have long histories of drug use and involvement with the criminal justice system and are considered at high risk of failing probation or returning to prison. The program is rated Promising. Participants were less likely to miss appointments with probation officers, use drugs, and be arrested, compared with the control group. These differences were statistically significant.

A Promising rating implies that implementing the program may result in the intended outcome(s).

This program's rating is based on evidence that includes at least one high-quality randomized controlled trial.

Notice: See also "Program Profile: Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE)"

In 2020, CrimeSolutions rated the Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement model as No Effects. That model was implemented in four jurisdictions (Saline County, Ark.; Essex County, Mass.; Clackamas County, Ore.; and Tarrant County, Texas) and is based on the Hawaii Opportunity Probation with Enforcement program. Review the program profile.

Program Goals/Target Population

Hawaii Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE), or Hawaii HOPE, is a community supervision strategy for substance-abusing probationers. The main goals of Hawaii HOPE are to reduce drug use, recidivism, and incarceration. Hawaii HOPE targets probationers who generally have long histories of drug use and involvement with the criminal justice system and who are considered at high risk of failing probation or returning to prison. Hawaii HOPE begins with a warning/notification hearing in front of a judge, who makes clear the expectations of compliance: violation of probation conditions will not be tolerated, and each violation will result in an immediate brief stay in jail.

Hawaii HOPE was designed according to a theoretical foundation that emphasizes clearly defined behavioral expectations for probationers, the use of swift and certain sanctions when probationers fail to comply with those expectations, and elements of procedural justice that make it clear to probationers that courtroom members (probation officers and supervising judges) want them to succeed.

Program Activities

Once probationers are selected to participate in Hawaii HOPE, they are assigned to a color group that corresponds to a required frequency of drug testing. Hawaii HOPE probationers are required to call an automated drug testing hotline every morning, and if their color is selected for the day and announced on the hotline, they must report to the courthouse for drug testing before 2 p.m. that day. In the beginning, probationers are usually tested at least six times per month (about once a week). Over time, the frequency of drug testing may lessen; as probationers are rewarded for compliance, their negative drug tests may result in an assignment to a new color group that is associated with less-frequent testing.

The sanctioning process of Hawaii HOPE happens quickly. If probationers’ drug tests are positive, they are arrested on the spot and taken to jail. If probationers fail to appear for a drug test, they are issued bench warrants immediately, which are served by the police. As soon as a violation is detected, the probation officer completes a “Motion to Modify Probation” form and sends it to the judge. A hearing on the motion is usually held within 72 hours of the filing, and the probationer is confined in the interim.

Program Theory

Hawaii HOPE differs from most diversion and drug court programs in that it does not attempt to impose drug treatment on every probationer but relies on a behavioral triage model. Rather than require all probationers to receive drug treatment (even those without substance abuse disorders), an individual’s need for treatment is based on observed behavior signals, such as positive drug tests, rather than through self-reporting. Probationers are sentenced to drug treatment only if they continue to test positive for drug use, or if they request a treatment referral.

Additional Information

In 2011, the Bureau of Justice Assistance funded four sites (Saline County, Ark.; Essex County, Mass.; Clackamas, Ore.; and Tarrant County, Texas) to replicate the Hawaii HOPE program in their jurisdictions. The program was rebranded as the Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement, and the evaluation of those replications was funded by the National Institute of Justice. The evaluation was reviewed and rated by CrimeSolutions; see the program profile on Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE).

Study 1

A study by Hawken and Kleiman (2009) used a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of Hawaii Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE). Participants eligible for the study included all probationers, men and women, who were over 18 years of age and under community supervision by the Adult Client Services probation unit in Honolulu, Hawaii. The study group was randomized to one of two conditions: HOPE (treatment group, n = 330) or treatment-as-usual (control group, n = 163). HOPE probationers were on average 36.1 years old and 75 percent male. They were 65 percent Asian/Polynesian; 16 percent white; 13 percent Portuguese, Puerto Rican, or Other/Unknown; and 5 percent African American. There were no statistically significant differences between the treatment or control groups on these characteristics.

The primary outcomes included the percent of no-shows for probation appointments, positive urine tests for illicit-substance use, and rearrest rates. The secondary outcomes included the percent of revocation rates and the average days of incarceration. No-shows for probation appointments were calculated as the average percentage of missed appointments for each person, giving equal weight to each person regardless of how many appointments were scheduled. Positive urinalysis results were calculated as the percentage of positive urinalyses tests for each person, again giving equal weight to each of them regardless of how many tests they were subject to.

Data was collected from two administrative data sources: PROBER, a case-management system used by probation offices in Hawaii, and the Criminal Justice Information System. The study used an intent-to-treat design so that all subjects assigned to HOPE were included in the outcome data, whether or not they appeared for their warning hearing. The randomization process took place in October 2007, which was the study start date for all participants. The follow-up period was 1 year later, October 2008. No subgroup analysis was conducted. 

A guide on the Hawaii Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) probation model, with includes implementation information, is available here.

These sources were used in the development of the program profile:

These sources were used in the development of the program profile:

Following are CrimeSolutions-rated programs that are related to this practice:

Focused Deterrence Strategies

This practice (also referred to as “pulling-levers policing”) includes problem-oriented policing strategies that follow the core principles of deterrence theory. The strategies target specific criminal behavior committed by a small number of individuals who chronically commit offenses, such as youth gang members or those who repeatedly commit violent offenses, who are vulnerable to sanctions and punishment. The practice is rated Promising for reducing crime.

Evidence Ratings for Outcomes

Crime & Delinquency - Multiple crime/offense types

Swift, Certain, and Fair Supervision Strategies for Drug-Involved Indivi duals

The practice comprises supervision strategies used by community supervision officers to address violation behavior of drug-involved individuals on probation and parole who are being supervised in the community. The goals are to generate greater compliance with supervision terms and, as a result, reduce recidivism. The practice is rated Promising for reducing crime rates of drug-involved individuals supervised in the community.

Evidence Ratings for Outcomes

Crime & Delinquency - Multiple crime/offense types

Rehabilitation Programs for Adults Convicted of a Crime

This practice includes programs that are designed to reduce recidivism among adults by improving their behaviors, skills, mental health, social functioning, and access to education and employment. They may become participants in rehabilitation programs during multiple points in their involvement with the criminal justice system. This practice is rated Promising for reducing recidivism among adults who have been convicted of an offense.

Evidence Ratings for Outcomes

Crime & Delinquency - Multiple crime/offense types

Why might a practice's outcome ratings differ from the ratings of specific programs encompassed by that practice?