Georgia Tackles Changing Behavior of Repeat DUI Offenders

Georgia Tackles Changing Behavior of Repeat DUI Offenders

Georgia Tackles Changing Behavior of Repeat DUI Offenders
It is good news as judges across the country are working hard to make long-term changes in how people conduct themselves while driving, considering that it is an important factor in a problem that has been difficult to deal with by law enforcement agencies, the judges have teamed up with prosecutors, defense attorneys, parole officers and substance abuse counselors to ensure that all aspects are considered.

Judges in courtrooms around the country are striving to make long-term changes in how people conduct themselves, to ensure that all aspects are considered, the judges are teaming up with prosecutors, defense attorneys, parole officers and substance abuse counselors.

DUI or DWI courts are primarily meant to change the behavior of offenders for the better; the main goal is to lower the rate of recidivism. The Drug Court model is used by the DUI/DWI courts for long term treatment and accountability. This program employs a cooperative approach in changing the offender’s dependency on alcohol buy utilizing the criminal system. The end goal of this approach is to reduce the rate of re-offending, thus saving money for the tax payers.

The DUI court in Athens was the first of its kind in Georgia and in the country. Others include The Fulton County DUI Court, The Hall County DUI Court and The Chatham County DUI Court. The National Center for DWI Courts selected the DUI court in Athens as one of four “academy courts” to host training programs for judges and also serve as a national model.

Retired Judge Michael Kavanaugh, senior director of the National Center for DWI Courts was quoted saying that the National Center for DWI Courts will redirect trained personnel into a system that distinguishes the cause of the dysfunction and how best to counter the multiple sources of that dysfunction.

While speaking to Kavanaugh, he said that the old system is not effective and victims are more likely to re-offend because it only emphasizes on fining or putting offenders behind bars which does not impact the offender in any positive way.

Research done by the National Center for DWI Courts shows, as of June 2014 there were about 690 DWI courts in the country.
It is also disturbing that most repeat offenders are wealthier and more educated people who are highly functioning members of society with good jobs are often the ones frequently convicted of DUI or DWI offences. Alcohol is the drug of choice for such people because to some extent it is acceptable by the society compared to other drugs like cocaine and marijuana, said Kavanaugh.

Dealing with such people is always a challenge, it is a two-way Street because they require a certain level of respect and at the same time people dealing with them expect to be respected, said Lawrence. His concerns were on how to hold participants accountable while at the same time preserving their dignity.

DUI/DWI courts are effective in addressing the problems associated with repeat offenders; it is actually a proven method. The program has a graduated sanction/reward structure and following specific Guiding Principles, the concept follows the highly successful Drug Court concept. What makes the courts unique and more successful are the elements within the courts such as community supervision, drug and alcohol testing, case management and mandatory counseling. Statistics from operational DUI Courts show that after completing the highest level of accountability recidivism decreases substantially, those who go through the process are twenty percent less likely to re-offend.

Judge Charles Auslander, who took over the Athens court when Lawrence retired in 2011, confiremed that the program takes about 2 years, he also explained that the program requires the participant’s commitment since there are individual and group counseling sessions, check-ins with a probation officer and a court date every two weeks.

The objective of the DUI courts is to help repeat offenders change their perception and behavior thereby reducing taxpayer’s costs. A study done by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration of 3 DUI courts in Georgia in 2011 showed, over a 4 four year period offenders going through the court program had a recidivism rate of 15% compared to 24% of DUI offenders in similar counties with no DUI Court. The study estimated that over the 4 years, the courts’ program prevented approximately 47-112 repeat arrests. This study proves that the Georgia DUI Courts are effective and if possible should be implemented countrywide.