State Reform Spotlight: Hawaii

Hawaii's HOPE program makes waves for probation reform

Even in tropical, wave-washed Hawaii, the probation system has some big problems.  Lori Hendrickson, for example, knew the system didn’t work for her. She was addicted to drugs, and probation gave her “no desire of stopping”. Today, her life is turned around, through a revival in Hawaii’s administration of justice.

 

Before that wave of change occurred, the probation system was in bad shape. Probation is supposed to be an alternative to prison, with regular meetings with a probation officer, and rules restricting travel and prohibiting drug use, etc.  However, probation officers in Hawaii had almost no way to punish rule-breaking, except with lengthy prison sentences.  As a result, they let multiple violations go, until prison become inevitable. The system allowed for no moderate sanctions, and thus no immediate accountability. The rules meant little.

 

In 2004, Judge Steve Alm started the Hawaii Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) program, in hopes of brings real accountability to the system. The HOPE process is both revolutionary and straightforward. The probationers are told that the old rules remain in place, but that violations will now result in swift arrests and short, fair sentences. Frequent random drug testing is instituted, backed by “virtually certain” jail sentences for every violation, that typically last a few days. Probationers with day jobs are allowed to serve their sentences over the weekend, and those who still need drug treatment receive it. True accountability is the major shift. As Judge Alm points out, “Our offenders know that if they use drugs today, they will go to jail tomorrow. That means something.”

 

The HOPE program has experienced unprecedented success. Today, the program involves over 1,200 participants representing more than a seventh of the state’s felony probationers, and plans are being made to expand the concept to parolees. Research has shown HOPE probationers to be 53% less likely to have their probation revoked, and 61% less likely to miss appointments with probation officers. Crime rates and drug use among program participants dramatically drop. HOPE probationers have proven to be 72% less likely to use drugs, and 55% less likely to be arrested for a new crime. Even prisoners serving jail time for a HOPE violation report largely positive feelings toward the program. As Lori Hendrickson demonstrates, these “statistics” have faces, lives and dreams.

 

With its proven track record, the HOPE concept is all set for implementation across the United States. The probation system is a crucial component within American corrections generally, and ineffectiveness is rampant: nearly 40% of probationers do not successfully complete probation. The number of people on probation has been steadily rising: in 2008 the figure stood at almost 4.3 million adults. High probation failure rates exacerbate already tight state budgets. When probation is ineffective, more money is spent housing extra prisoners, and American tax-payers now spend more than $50 billion dollars on corrections every year.

 

The federal government is thinking about catching the wave. House Resolution 4055, the Honest Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) Initiative Act of 2009, would create a federal grant program to replicate the HOPE model in 20 jurisdictions around the United States. Hopefully, many more states will soon start to see lives changed like Lori Hendrickson’s was. By revolutionizing the way probation works, Hawaii just might have started a wave of reform.

 

To find out more about the HOPE initiative, click here.