OREGON
DUII Intensive Supervision Program (DISP)

 

PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS PROGRAM AREA(S)
  Outstanding collaborative effort
Innovative or non-traditional approach
  Alcohol and Other Drugs
       
TYPE OF JURISDICTION    
  County    
       
TARGETED POPULATION(S) JURISDICTION SIZE
  General Population   640,000


PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In Multnomah County, Oregon, one judge is solely responsible for sentencing hundreds of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) offenders yearly, and for monitoring all probation activities of offenders convicted under the state's DUII law. Each year, an average of 200 offenders possessing three or more DUII convictions reappear before the judge. Probation activities comprise a package of options which may include electronic surveillance, substance abuse treatment, a formal probation program, or random substance use testing. Furthermore, many of the individual probation activities are administered through other branches of the courts and various law enforcement agencies over which the judge is responsible for monitoring. Attempts by the judge to reduce the high incidence of repeat offenses through more aggressive monitoring is almost impossible, given the volume of convictions and the difficulty of coordinating such varied probation activities.


GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The DUII Intensive Supervision Program (DISP) was developed in 1998 to provide a solution to the problem of high rates of repeat offenders of Oregon's DUII law. Objectives of the DISP effort include the following:

  • Establish a program to coordinate all probation activities and the activities of all participating agencies
  • Design a system to track all DUII cases, providing ongoing data for analysis
  • Develop new programs that support and enhance DISP services


STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
During the summer of 1998, a multi agency task force created DISP and field-tested the concept. In September, the polished and refined program became fully operational. The primary strategy used for ensuring the success of DISP was the creation of a program coordinator position to handle all administrative functions of the county's probation program. This new position would supervise, monitor, coordinate, and expand upon existing probation components. Specific objectives of the program coordinator position were to:

  • Act as a focal point around which the various probation activities and agencies responsible for those activities would be coordinated
  • Manage all paperwork and procedures related to the processing of DUII offenders
  • Develop a record tracking system which will provide easy access to DUII offender data
  • Establish a program evaluation strategy
  • Develop new programs that support DISP, such as indigent defense services
  • Develop a system for consolidation of DUII violations, pleas and sentencing parameters among neighboring counties
  • Coordinate efforts with the District Attorney's office to assure prompt indictments of repeat offenders


RESULTS
Since implementation of DISP, the shift of responsibility for sentence management to the program coordinator has equalized the administrative responsibility of the probation program. Program administrators and participating agencies are currently monitoring the results of DISP to determine if the program is meeting its goals and objectives.

 

FUNDING
  Section 402:
$50,000
CONTACT  
 

Harley Leiber
Release Assistance Officer
Multnomah County Courthouse
Portland, OR
(503) 988–4069


NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

SPRING 2000