NCJ Number
97112
Date Published
1984
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The Repeat Offender Program Experiment (ROPE) in Maryland will be tested over time, but it has already shown that systemwide planning is necessary for successfully identifying, prosecuting, convicting, incarcerating, and treating repeat offenders.
Abstract
Located in five Maryland subdivisions (Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, and Montgomery Counties), the program aims to incapacitate repeat offenders through the improvement of all aspects of criminal and juvenile justice processing. The systemwide coordination of the program has required executive support, information sharing, the reallocation of resources, and the provision of sufficient planning time. Small, one-time planning grants were awarded by the Maryland Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in June 1982 to the five subdivisions. All subdivisions used the planning grants to study the local repeat offender problem and to assist the Repeat Offender Steering Council in formulating appropriate and comprehensive ROPE's. As the ROPE concept has evolved, it has become clear that the coordination strategy used in the planning process must be continued in the program's operational phase. Although all five subdivisions are beginning to implement their ROPE's, not all have their full programs in operation, due to budgetary or administrative matters. A task force established by the Maryland Criminal Justice Coordinating Council is helping the five ROPE's, and local steering councils are remaining active to monitor and refine the programs as well as to respond to problems and issues arising during implementation. Footnotes and a list of seven references are included.