Young Adult Pre-DUI Visitation Program | CALIFORNIA |
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Although the State of California mandates intervention programming for the DUI
offender, there was no programming available to the courts to deal with the young
adult pre-DUI offender to deter the progression from "minor" alcohol-related
traffic offenses to serious DUI offenses. Pre-DUI offenses include open container
violations, possession of marijuana while driving and blood alcohol levels of .05
and over. The recidivism rate was 32 percent. Based on the success of the Office
of Criminal Justice Planning's Corrective Behavior Institute (CBI), Juvenile DUI
Visitation Program, in reducing recidivism, the courts in Santa Barbara, Monterey
and Kern counties requested that the program be expanded to include 18-21 year old
pre-DUI offenders.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Young Adult Pre-DUI Visitation Program was to reduce recidivism to 15 percent.
To accomplish this, the following objectives were set:
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The 10-hour DUI Visitation Program gives participants exposure to the real life
consequences of drinking and driving. The program is spread over several weeks;
referrals come from the courts, schools and even family. Each group has 12
members who pay about $100 each. The program is highly structured and closely
coordinated with the coroner's office and the hospital trauma unit. The first
session (two hours) is held in the office of the county coroner or medical
examiner. The first hour is an orientation during which participants tell what
they did and why they did it. The second hour shows slides of foolish acts people
do when they are high and focuses a discussion on how participants see themselves
while high.
The second session is a four-hour visit to the trauma unit between 10:00 p.m.
and 2:00 a.m. This is a one-on-one session: one participant and one highly
trained counselor, often an EMT, a paramedic or a nurse. During this session, the
young person and the counselor will watch closely the handling of a trauma case,
perhaps even seeing minor surgery performed, sometimes seeing people die. Then
the young person and the counselor will go through the intensive care unit (ICU)
with the ICU nurses describing the stories of the people who are there. Finally,
there is simulated role-playing so that the young person gets a feel for what life
is like blind or in a wheelchair. The counselors are trained to pick up on
comments made by the young person and to make appropriate referrals (e.g., for
family problems or for abuse).
The final session is held several weeks later. Before the session, each
participant writes an essay (on a suggested topic or on one of his/her own
choosing). During the session, the participants share their experiences in the
trauma unit and learn additional information on the impact of drugs and alcohol on
driving. They also critique the program.
RESULTS
The effectiveness of the program is measured by client satisfaction, recidivism and the successful coordination of services. Since 1994, a total of 1,021 young adults have entered the program from court referrals in the three counties. Participants are tracked every six months for five years, starting six months after completion of the program. Recidivism rates are very low: .0001 percent for Santa Barbara County, .062 percent for Kern Count and .0009 percent for Monterey County. Follow-up questionnaires have reflected positive feedback for the program. The program is now self-sustaining.