Repeat Offender Prevention Program

California's Repeat Offender Prevention Program (ROPP) is a multimodal early intervention program targeting young offenders at high risk of becoming chronic delinquents. Originally developed by the Orange County (Calif.) Probation Department in the early 1990s, the program features a combination of intensive supervision and wraparound services. (It is also sometimes referred to as the 8% Solution, because of its emphasis on the small percentage of youth most likely to become serious repeat offenders.) To qualify for ROPP, juveniles must be first-time offenders, no older than 15½, and exhibit at least three of the following risk factors:

- School behavior and performance problems (attendance, suspension/expulsion, failure of two or more classes)
- Family problems (poor supervision/control, history of domestic violence, child abuse/neglect, family members with criminal backgrounds)
- Substance abuse problems (regular use of alcohol or drugs)
- High-risk behaviors (stealing, chronic runaway, gang membership)

The goal of the program is to prevent young offenders from becoming chronic delinquents.

Between 1994 and 2000 the State of California implemented multiyear ROPP demonstration projects in eight California Counties: Fresno, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Solano. Overall, youths enrolled in the ROPP projects had significantly better outcomes than their counterparts in the control group. ROPP juveniles 1) attended significantly more days of school, 2) made more immediate improvements in grade point average, 3) were less likely to fall below grade level, 4) significantly increased their completion of court-ordered obligations for restitution, work, and community service, 5) significantly reduced their percentage of positive drug tests, 6) had significantly fewer of the highest sustained petitions for new offenses, and 7) absconded at a significantly lower rate. The Board of Corrections also found that ROPP youth and their families received "a significantly higher level of educational and other support services" than comparison youths and experienced much more regular contact with their assigned probation officers.