The Effectiveness of Idaho DUI and Misdemeanor/DUI Courts: Outcome Evaluation

Abstract

As DUI Courts continue to expand through the United States, research needs to match the growth to inform administrators and the public on the effectiveness of these courts. The current study found that participation in a DUI or Misdemeanor=DUI Drug Court (23%) reduced recidivism compared to a comparison group (37%) with court filing records that resulted in a disposition of guilty. The current study measured multiple court sites and analyzed recidivism over a 4.5 year time frame, and through the use of a Cox Proportional Hazard model it was identified that those not in the DUI court group were 1.6 times more likely to recidivate. The authors discuss the limitations and results in their efforts to increase the research on this ever expanding criminal justice practice.

Effectiveness of interventions for convicted DUI offenders in reducing recidivism: a systematic review of the peer-reviewed scientific literature

“…It allows close and frequent supervision by members of the judicial system, as well as treatment and punishment for noncompliance (46). Four studies investigated the effectiveness of DUI courts on reducing recidivism (46)(47)(48)(49). Two studies found that the DUI court resulted in lower recidivism rates than comparison groups (48,49).…”

“…Four studies investigated the effectiveness of DUI courts on reducing recidivism (46)(47)(48)(49). Two studies found that the DUI court resulted in lower recidivism rates than comparison groups (48,49). One study found that attending a DUI court actually increased the rate of recidivism, with 17.9% of those who completed the program re-arrested for a new DUI offense, compared to only 6.7% of those who completed parole as per usual (47).…”

Do DWI Courts Work? an Empirical Evaluation of a Texas DWI Court

“…Even so, positive findings have been reported by two later studies (i.e., Lapham et al, 2006;Ronan et al, 2009), and in both cases, the target population consisted of more serious repeat offenders with the study samples having a significantly larger size. In the first of these studies, Lapham et al (2006) examined the effectiveness of the DUI Intensive Supervision Program in Oregon.…”

“…Three of these studies (Breckenridge et al, 2000;Lapham et al, 2006;MacDonald et al, 2007) were reviewed by Marlowe and colleagues, but since then an additional three studies have also been published (Bouffard & Richardson, 2007;Bouffard et al, 2010;Ronan et al, 2009). Together these evaluations provide a small foundation for the current knowledge of DWI court effectiveness.…”

“…To date, there are only a handful of peer-reviewed studies that empirically assess the ability of DWI courts to lower recidivism rates for DWI offenders (e.g., Bouffard & Richardson, 2007;Bouffard et al, 2010;Breckenridge, Winfree, Maupin, & Clason, 2000;Lapham, Kapitula, & Baca, 2006;MacDonald, Morral, Raymond, & Eibner, 2007;Ronan, Collins, & Rosky, 2009). As a result, it is very difficult to draw strong conclusions about the current state of DWI courts.…”