About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

12 Criminology & Pub. Pol'y 173 (2013)
The Challenges of Screening DUI Offenders

handle is hein.journals/crpp12 and id is 181 raw text is: EDITORIAL INTRODUCIlON DUI RECIDIVISM The Challenges of Screening DUI Offenders Alan Cavaiola ; - _,I University Prior to 1970, most states in the United States had strict penalties that were imposed on convicted DUI offenders. These penalties usually included monetary fines and suspension of driving privileges with sanctions for multiple offenses (e.g., longer driving privilege suspensions and sometimes jail time). Naturally penalties imposed on recidivists were much greater than for first offenders. However, by the mid-1970s, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began to implement alcohol safety action programs (ASAPs), which were instituted in 35 communities across the United States and were sometimes referred to as alcohol countermeasure programs, whereby convicted DUI offenders were legally mandated to attend alcohol education programs. Many of these alcohol countermeasure programs would include some type of screening assessment to determine whether alcohol education was sufficient or whether alcohol counseling or treatment might be necessary. This came at a time when it was determined that strict DUI laws and penalties alone were not sufficient in reducing recidivism rates, which then were often as high as 33% of first offenders who would consequently receive a second DUI offense. It has been estimated that approximately 50% of first-time DUI offenders may have an alcohol use disorder, whereas the other half probably comprise individuals who made a poor decision to drink and drive after attending an event such as a wedding or party (Vingilis, 1983). It was hypothesized that these poor decision makers probably do not drink and drive on a consistent basis, as do those with an alcohol use disorder, whereby drinking and driving is likely to occur on a regular basis (White and Gasperin, 2007). In this regard, it has been estimated that this group of drivers will make somewhere in the area of 400 drinking and driving trips, prior to coming to the attention of the police. In the new DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), included in their diagnostic criteria for a Substance Use Disorder, Recurrent substance use (includes alcohol and other mood altering substances) in situations in which it is physically hazardous (criteria 8). Physically hazardous use would obviously include drinking and driving; however, the operative word here is recurrent. To Direct correspondence to Alan Cavaola, Psychological Counseling Department, Monmouth University, 400 Cedar Avenue, West Long Branch, NJ 07764-1898 (e-mail: acavaiol@monmouth.edu). DOI: 10.1111/1745-9133.12032 © 2013 American Society of Criminology 173 Criminology e' Public Policy * Volume 12 * Issue 2

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most