Is Project HOPE Creating a False Sense of Hope? A Case Study in Correctional Popularity

Project HOPE uses certain but non-severe graduated sanctions to specifically deter probationers from violating supervision conditions, especially drug use. The authors explore the sources of HOPE's "correctional popularity" and argue that several uncertainties may potentially compromise its effectiveness in other jurisdictions. They caution that correctional popularity risks exacting a high cost when promising, if not unproven, programs are adopted rather than alternative evidence-based strategies.