NCJ Number
235572
Journal
Criminal Justice Studies Volume: 24 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2011 Pages: 153-163
Date Published
June 2011
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined if victim impact panels help in reducing drunk driving offenders from recidivism.
Abstract
In victim impact panels, persons convicted of driving while intoxicated are confronted by survivors of accidents caused by drunk drivers. The objective is to reduce the number of subsequent convictions by increasing empathy with victims and increasing awareness of the seriousness of the consequences of drinking and driving. Participation in a victim impact course was not found to consistently reduce reoffending in a sample of persons convicted of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. More specifically, program participants were just as likely to reoffend as non-participants and sometimes more likely. (Published Abstract)