NCJ Number
178070
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 66 Issue: 7 Dated: July 1999 Pages: 47-50
Date Published
1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article suggests a strategy for ensuring that "hardcore" drunk drivers are quickly detected and then prevented from driving again until they have been effectively treated for alcohol abuse.
Abstract
"Hardcore" drunk drivers are defined as "those who repeatedly drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent or above, may have more than one drunk driving arrest, and are highly resistant to changing their behavior despite previous sanctions, treatment, or education efforts." Responses to the hardcore drunk driver must have one overarching goal: to identify, punish, and treat hardcore offenders so that they no longer drink and drive. Once arrested, it is important to identify a drunk driver as a hardcore offender and take immediate action to prevent him/her from driving again until fundamental behavior change has occurred. The speed and certainty of penalties have been shown to have a greater deterrent value than severity. In order to change hardcore drinking behavior, sanctions that inhibit the offender's ability to drive, punish the offense, and support rehabilitation must be imposed jointly and consistently. Effective treatment is the key to reducing recidivism. Legislation should include a hardcore drunk driving charge, which would be applicable to repeat offenders, would carry more severe sanctions, and require more intensive treatment. There should also be penalties for test refusal equal to those recommended for the aggravated charge. Overall, an effective strategy should ensure that offenders are charged at the proper level; prosecutors have accurate and complete information to obtain a conviction; sanctions are connected and reinforce each other; compliance with sentencing terms is verified; treatment is appropriate based on previous record and intervention efforts; and accurate data are used to detect trends and determine program effectiveness. 2 notes