Project Description
Rio Hondo DUI Court Experiment
PI: Andrew Morral
Funded by: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
While alcohol-related traffic fatalities have been steadily decreasing since the 1980s, alcohol continues to be a contributing factor in nearly 40 percent of U.S. traffic fatalities. Since driving under the influence (DUI) offenders are at high risk for future DUI offenses, many jurisdictions are adopting the popular drug court model for implementation with repeat-DUI offenders. Under these programs, a judge oversees offenders' participation and progress in an alcoholism rehabilitation program. RAND is working with the Los Angeles Superior Courts, Rio Hondo Judicial District, to develop and experimentally evaluate one such Therapeutic DUI Court. Second-and third-time DUI offenders who volunteer to participate are randomly assigned to one of two groups: half are sentenced to the therapeutic DUI court, and half receive a sentence corresponding to state mandatory minimum sanctions for repeat DUI offenders. RAND is conducting extensive psychosocial assessments with all participants immediately prior to randomization and again two years later. Groups will also be compared on administrative driving and criminal records for further DUI arrests and other outcomes.
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