Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Results from a randomized control trial (RCT) experiment begun in 2012 to evaluate the effectiveness of four programs replicating the Hawaii’s Opportunity with Enforcement (HOPE) program are presented. The model developed in Hawaii in 2004 emphasizes close monitoring; frequent drug testing; and certain, swift, and consistent sanctioning; initial examinations of the Hawaii program suggest that the approach is a promising if not yet proven. The current presentation examines the extent to which HOPE programs—now called Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) — produced improvements in appointment compliance, urine test results, rearrest rates, revocations rates, jail days served, and prison days sentenced when compared with Probation as Usual (PAU).