Did you know?
Impaired driving remains one of the most serious threats to public safety in the US. In fact, impaired-driving deaths count for one-third of all traffic deaths on our roads. In 2014, more than 1 million drivers were arrested for driving while impaired (DWI), and about one-third of all drivers arrested or convicted of impaired driving are repeat offenders.
DWI courts save lives and resources.
DWI courts are specialized, comprehensive court programs that provide individual treatment, supervision and accountability for repeat DWI offenders. These specialty courts follow the well-established drug court model and are based on the premise that impaired driving can be prevented if the underlying causes, such as substance use and mental health disorders, are identified and addressed.
A large body of research supports the effectiveness of DWI courts to lead participants out of the justice system and into long-term sobriety. Simply put, DWI courts save lives and resources.
A Michigan study found that participants were 19 times less likely to be re-arrested for another impaired-driving offense than offenders processed through a traditional court. DWI courts were also determined to be cost-effective and efficient.
And a Georgia evaluation found that DWI court participants had a recidivism rate of 15% compared to a recidivism rate of 35% among DWI offenders who were processed through traditional courts.
Need help? You've come to the right place.
NCDC is the authority on the latest research, best practices, and cutting-edge innovations to treat repeat and high-blood-alcohol-content DWI offenders. We deliver timely solutions that improve DWI court outcomes, save money, and make our roadways and communities safer.
NCDC faculty and staff provide a level of expertise and historical and practical knowledge unrivaled in our field. Together, we span a broad range of disciplines, including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court administrators, program coordinators, case managers, treatment providers, and law enforcement officials located around the world. NCDC has planned and implemented more training and technical assistance programs than any other entity in the DWI court field. Since 2007, we have conducted more than 90 DWI court foundational and operational tune-up trainings, equipping more than 3,700 court professionals to be the best in their field.
The DWI Court Expansion Project
NCDC is collaborating with and supported by Responsibility.org to lead the DWI Court Expansion Project. Project efforts range from meeting with high-level policymakers and practitioners to overcome barriers to the use of DWI courts; to participation in judicial and statewide conferences, policy summits and trade shows to increase awareness in both the industry and legal arenas; to providing training to other problem-solving courts that wish to expand their programming to serve repeat DWI offenders.
