CALIFORNIA
Youthful Visitation Program (YVP)

 

PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS PROGRAM AREA(S)
  Targets hard-to-reach/at risk population
Innovative or non-traditional approach
  Youth Programs
Alcohol and Other Drugs
       
TYPE OF JURISDICTION    
  County    
       
TARGETED POPULATION(S) JURISDICTION SIZE
  Youth   1,144,202


PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
In California, one out of every 786 teenagers, 16 years old and older, is killed or injured in an alcohol-related motor vehicle crash. One out of every 300 youth, 16 to 24 years old, is killed or injured in an alcohol-related crash. Many of these injuries and deaths involve underage drinking and driving, a problem not easily corrected by more traditional methods such as fines and license suspensions.


GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of the Youthful Visitation Program (YVP) was the reduction of alcohol-related crashes involving youth in Sacramento County. Objectives of the program, developed by Sacramento County law enforcement officials in 1998, are to:

  • Develop a prevention program targeting underage drinking and driving
  • Create a partnership among likely community agencies
  • Produce an evaluation tool for the new prevention program


STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In 1998, Sacramento County traffic safety advocates including the Sacramento Superior Court, Juvenile Traffic Court, the UC (University of California) Davis Trauma Center, the Coroner's Office and local law enforcement officials formed a partnership to create the Youthful Visitation Program (YVP). The program matured into a comprehensive alcohol prevention program, yet began as an effort to educate youthful Driving Under the Influence (DUI) offenders about impaired driving.

The primary strategy of the program is to coordinate visitations by youthful (under 18 years of age) DUI offenders to emergency rooms during peak hours, and to the county morgue to view the consequences of driving and drinking. During visitations at the morgue, the juvenile offenders are instructed about the dangers of driving and drinking, by a victim impact panel, then returned to Juvenile Traffic Court where they are required to write a 1,000 word essay on lessons learned from the visitation experience. A variety of other activities enhanced and expanded the YVP, including:

  • The court and local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) worked with local television stations to produce and air public service announcements (PSAs) on underage drinking and driving
  • Presentations by YVP officials, MADD officials and the California Highway Patrol were made to high school students in driver education classes and at school assemblies. The focus of these presentations was underage drinking and driving, particularly DUI legislation and the adjudication process
  • Presentations on underage drinking and driving were conducted throughout the community during various forums
  • A contest was held during which local high schools students competed to design the best PSA


RESULTS
Officials representing the Youthful Visitation Program report the following successful results:

  • A total of 160 juvenile DUI offenders have completed the YVP program
  • More than 1,800 high school students received DUI education during 73 presentations
  • Two PSAs created by MADD and two local television stations were aired 161 times to an estimated audience of 1,048,000 youths
  • The winner of the PSA contest was one of 48 competing students from one of 175 high schools contacted. The winning PSA was aired 289 times to an estimated audience of 704,000 students
 

FUNDING
  Section 402:
$54,585
CONTACT  
 

Jim McCulligan
Juvenile Hearing Officer
Sacramento Superior Court
3021 Bicentennial Circle, Room 100
Sacramento, CA 95854
(916) 875–7510


NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

WINTER 2000