NCJ Number
159131
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 22 Issue: 3/4 Dated: (1995) Pages: 113-128
Date Published
1995
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The Tri-County Area Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Authority in North Carolina has pioneered the use of group therapy to treat offenders charged with driving while impaired (DWI).
Abstract
While group therapy had been part of treatment for repeat DWI offenders since 1983, assessment of disability and the provision of group therapy to first offenders identified as disabled began after July 1, 1986. Therefore, it was possible to assemble a control group of DWI first offenders referred to the Area Authority during January-June 1986 and an experimental group of offenders referred during January-June 1987. After completing treatment, 24 percent of the control group received subsequent DWI convictions, compared to 11.6 percent of the experimental group. A review of biographic information (age, race, sex, marital status, employment status, and educational attainment) and Department of Motor Vehicle records indicated offenders in the experimental group were less likely to be convicted of subsequent DWI's than offenders in the control group. The increase in the intensity of treatment for first offenders, both in the use of staff to assess the level of disability and in the assignment of disabled clients to group therapy sessions, apparently had a direct and meaningful impact on the recidivism level for DWI first offenders. 34 references, 7 notes, and 2 tables