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HOPE Court, A Post-Conviction Reentry Court

In 2014, the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island U.S. Attorney, the Federal Defender with responsibility for the District of Rhode Island and U.S. Probation for the District of Rhode Island, executed an Interagency Agreement to establish a reentry court program known as HOPE Court (“Helping Offenders Prepare for reEntry”).  HOPE Court is designed to use evidence-based practices to serve high risk/high needs individuals on federal post-conviction supervision.  HOPE Court focuses on individuals who are statistically at a high risk to reoffend and have drug or alcohol abuse-related conditions.  [The program is not designed for individuals who suffer just from severe drug addiction or alcoholism.]  HOPE Court seeks to reduce the number of revocation proceedings, improve participant compliance with conditions of supervision, facilitate rehabilitation and decrease recidivism.  Participation in the program is entirely voluntary and participants are pre-screened by U.S. Probation before being accepted for participation.  Each participant must sign a contract acknowledging his/her agreement to participate In HOPE Court in lieu of traditional supervision. Built to reflect evidence-based practices, the program lasts for at least one year and includes four distinct phases; successful completion of all program requirements results in a one-year reduction of the term of supervision.

In HOPE Court, the presiding judge – with the aid of a Team of professionals, to include an Assistant Federal Public Defender and at least one Assistant U.S. Attorney, a community outreach liaison, a mental health treatment provider, a member of Court staff and representatives of the U.S. Probation Office – support the supervision of participants by conducting bi-weekly confidential Team meetings and regular public court sessions attended by all participants.  During the confidential Team Meetings, members discuss each participant’s status with the collaborative goal of providing the participant with the necessary resources to help him/her succeed at each phase of the program.  At the public court session, the judge reviews and responds to the achievements and failures of each participant in a non-adversarial way.  In addition to the regular interventions and supports of traditional supervision, HOPE Court provides the oversight of the judge and the deployment of a creative blend of mental/physical health treatment, education, vocational and life skills training, with rewards/sanctions to address behavior and facilitate both rehabilitation and the safety of our communities.