H.O.P.E. in Oregon

Oregon plans to use strict probation enforcement as a prison-diversion program. Good idea.

It looks as if Oregon is ready to move forward with program of quick and automatic sanctions for probation violations, modeled on the successful H.O.P.E. program in Honolulu. The twist is that Oregon plans to use it as a prison-diversion program for repeat offenders, an ideal application.

Author: Mark Kleiman

Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out. Books: Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken) When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993) Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989) UCLA Homepage Curriculum Vitae Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com