The United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island has established a reentry court program known as H.O.P.E., (“Helping Offenders Prepare for reEntry”) for certain individuals on federal post-conviction supervision. The Rhode Island H.O.P.E. 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 from severe drug addiction or alcoholism. Participants must agree to participate and must be accepted into the program. The program lasts at least one year, and successful completion can result in a one-year reduction of the term of supervision with the approval of the sentencing judge.
In the H.O.P.E. Court, the presiding judge – with the aid of an Assistant Federal Public Defender and an Assistant United States Attorney – assists United States Probation with the supervision of participants by conducting regular court sessions attended by all participants in the program. At the court session, the judge reviews and responds to the achievements and failures of each participant. The conduct and activities supervised by the program are those typically handled by United States Probation Office. The program adds the regular oversight of a defendant by a judge with a blend of treatment, education and job skills training, and sanctions alternatives to address participant behavior, rehabilitation, and the safety of our communities.
Additional details on the program can be found by clicking here(link is external).