Swift, certain, and fair


Swift, Certain, and Fair is an approach to criminal-justice supervision involving probation, parole, pre-trial diversion, and/or incarceration.

Features

SCF implementations typically have the following features:
  • Limited set of rules
  • Clear warnings
  • Close monitoring
  • Swift response to violations
  • A modest consequence for every violation

HOPE

One of the first SCF programs was Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement, created in Honolulu in 2004 by Judge Steven Alm.
In 2009 the program was evaluated by Angela Hawken and Mark Kleiman. They found that, compared with probationers supervised as usual, HOPE probationers were:
  • 55% less likely to be arrested for a new crime
  • 72% less likely to use drugs
  • 61% less likely to skip appointments with their supervisory officer
  • 53% less likely to have their probation revoked.

Demonstration Field Experiment (DFE)

To assess the universality of the Hawaii results, the Bureau of Justice Assistance and National Institute of Justice funded a replication and randomized control trial at four mainland sites. Findings were expected by 2016.

Other implementations

SCF programs have been implemented in at least 28 states and an American Indian nation.