NCJ Number
107863
Date Published
1987
Length
56 pages
Annotation
This study documents the current use of community service sentences for drunk drivers in Indiana, determines judges' attitudes toward the use of this sentence for drunk drivers, and proposes steps for establishing a model community service program for drunk drivers.
Abstract
Of the questionnaires mailed to 120 Indiana judges, 57 percent were completed and returned, representing responses from about 65 percent of Indiana's counties. Approximately 82 percent of the responding judges use community service in their sentencing, although several indicated that drunk drivers are excluded from community service sentences. A majority of the judges perceive community service to be a valuable alternative to jail and would sentence drunk drivers to such programs if they were more certain of their effectiveness. Indiana should establish a model community service program that addresses these judicial concerns. Steps in this endeavor should include the identification of relevant laws, task force creation, funding, determination of the types and availability of placement agencies, setting program goals and objectives, establishment of a policy on insurance coverage, and the determination of staffing requirements. Other steps include developing the budget, intake/screening, monitoring procedures, recordkeeping procedures, and program evaluation procedures. 11 references, 21-item bibliography, and appended sample materials for the model program.