National Center for DWI Courts recognizes April as National Alcohol Awareness month

Calls for DWI Court expansion to better handle Alcohol Dependent Offenders Alexandria, VA -- For nearly three decades, April has been designated Alcohol Awareness Month, bringing national attention to the consequences of alcohol misuse and addiction. There is no doubt that the greatest consequences to alcohol addiction are fatalities due to drunk driving. Each year, thousands of individuals are killed in crashes involving drunk driving, with 70 percent involving hardcore offenders, those with a blood alcohol concentration (.BAC) above .15 or a previous DWI conviction. DWI Courts are on the front lines of the national effort to end drunk driving by hardcore offenders. The National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC) is the only organization committed to the implementation and support of DWI Courts, the most successful criminal justice response to hardcore drunk driving. This month, 600 DWI Courts will hold hardcore DWI offenders accountable for their behavior through a combination of intense supervision and treatment for alcohol addiction. As a result, hardcore DWI offenders in DWI Court leave the criminal justice system as responsible, productive and law abiding citizens. Across the nation there are more than two million drunk drivers with three or more DWI convictions and a staggering 400,000 with five or more. Over the last two decades we have made great strides in reducing drunk driving fatalities, however research has shown that these hardcore drunk drivers still pose the greatest risk of death on our roads. Unfortunately, traditional sentencing has had no effect on their behavior. "DWI Courts demonstrate that we can hold offenders accountable while addressing the addiction to alcohol that drives their destructive behavior," said NCDC Director David Wallace. "We see lives transformed every day in DWI Court. People who posed a risk to themselves and their community emerge committed to recovery, their families and their community. There is no longer any doubt that DWI Courts must be expanded. Alcohol Awareness Month is an important time to focus on proven solutions such as DWI Court." DWI Courts have emerged as a critical solution to hardcore drunk driving due to their success at reducing recidivism and saving valuable criminal justice resources. A recent evaluation completed in Georgia found that repeat DWI offenders participating in three DWI Courts were up to 65% less likely to be re-arrested for a new DWI offense than DWI offenders sentenced in a traditional format. A similar study in Michigan found that DWI Courts had better outcomes in nearly all comparisons with traditional sentencing. In one county, the participants were up to 19 times less likely to reoffend. The finding also noted that DWI Courts saved the criminal justice system time and money when compared to a traditional court. Orange County, California has four DWI Courts in operation, saving over 109,000 jail bed nights; over $14 million in savings to taxpayers, since 2004. Beam Inc., the largest U.S. based spirits company and one of the largest premium spirits companies in the world, has supported DWI Courts since 2007 when it helped found the National Center for DWI Courts. "Alcohol Awareness Month is an important time for us to assess our progress and further promote responsible consumption at all times," said Matt Stanton, Beam's Vice President of Public Affairs & Corporate Social Responsibility. "Beam is proud to partner with DWI Courts throughout the country to continue the fight to eliminate drunk driving." The National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC) is a professional services division of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), established in 2007 and founded through a partnership with Beam Global Spirits & Wine. The NCDC is the only dedicated advocacy, policy, training and technical support organization for DWI Courts in the nation. Published: Thu, Apr 11, 2013