JAIL SENTENCES FOR DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED IN CHICAGO A JUDICIAL POLICY THAT FAILED

• NCJ Number: 15784
• Journal: Law and Society Review Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (FALL 1973) Pages: 55-67
• Author(s): L S ROBERTSON; R F RICH; H L ROSS
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 13 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• Corporate Author: Law and Society Assoc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

USES THE INTERRUPTED TIME SERIES TO STUDY THE EFFECT ON FATALITIES IN CHICAGO OF THE HIGHLY PUBLICIZED USE OF SEVEN DAY JAIL SENTENCES AS A COUNTERMEASURE AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING DURING THE WINTER AND SPRING OF 1971.

Abstract

THIS STUDY IS BASED ON DATA COLLECTED FROM POLICE, CORONER, AND COURT RECORDS. DURING THE STUDY PERIOD MAGISTRATES IN CHICAGO'S TRAFFIC COURTS WERE DIRECTED TO SENTENCE PERSONS CONVICTED OF DRIVING WHILE INTOXICATED TO SEVEN DAYS IN JAIL AND ONE YEAR LICENSE SUSPENSION. TO MEASURE THE POSSIBLE EFFECT OF SIMULTANEOUS EVENTS, DATA WERE ALSO COLLECTED FROM MILWAUKEE TO SEE IF COMPARABLE TRENDS COULD BE FOUND. THE ANALYSES CONCLUDES THAT CHANGE IN MOTOR VEHICLE FATALITIES DURING THE CRACKDOWN WAS ONLY A CHANCE VARIATION FROM THE FATALITY RATE OVER THE PRECEDING FIVE YEARS.