Through ROPE, Maryland juvenile justice and criminal justice agencies are emphasizing more effective ways to identify, apprehend, adjudicate, confine, and treat repeat offenders. Although jurisdictions design their own programs from an operational perspective, the program's design involves comprehensive involvement of all agencies, a high degree of cooperation and coordination, communication, and executive commitment. While jurisdictions will determine their own target populations, the offender group should be in the 16 to 24-year-old range. Criteria should include a timeframe for offenses and offense seriousness and contributing factors. Techniques which might be used in meeting the objective of identification, apprehension, and adjudication include criminal history record searching, a surveillance/apprehension strategy, and police/prosecutor working relationships. With respect to conviction, the development of court selection criteria, a curtailment of plea bargaining, and prosecutorial screening provide alternatives. Presentence investigation and special repeat offender dockets can prove useful in enhancing sentencing and disposition. With respect to correctional and treatment objectives, the ROPE concept advocates selective incapacitation or long-term incarceration, coupled with the use of a variety of treatment strategies and methods. Supporting program objectives include the availability of timely, accurate, and thorough information and the development of procedures consistent with constitutional safeguards. ROPE programs should include a three-stage evaluation component which focuses on program development, implementation, operation, and outcomes. Additional sources of information are listed: five references are provided.