NCJ Number
144113
Date Published
1992
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This study examined offender profiles, arraignments, and recidivism for drunk drivers in Massachusetts.
Abstract
In 1982, the Massachusetts legislature enacted Chapter 373 of The Acts of 1982, affording stricter sanctions for convicted drunk drivers. This study investigated the long- term effects of this legislation by examining and comparing to previous years the incidence of drunk-driving arraignments, drunk-driver characteristics, court proceedings of drunk driving cases, verdicts and sentences for these cases, and recidivism rates. The sample used for the study consisted of a database of 2,578 individuals arraigned for driving under the influence of liquor in April of 1991. The sample had a 1-year recidivism rate of 5.6 percent, a 50-percent decrease from the 1986 recidivism rate of 11.3 percent. First-time drunk-driving offenders had a recidivism rate of 4.1 percent. The longer the time from arraignment to disposition, the higher the recidivism rate, indicating the importance of swift case resolution. Annual drunk-driving arraignments have decreased by 27.4 percent, from 38,049 arraignments in 1986 to 27,611 arraignments in 1991. An analysis of profiles of individuals admitted to first and second offender drunk driver programs found that declines in admissions to first-offender services generally correspond to a decline in arraignments. The proportion of women admitted to first (17 percent) and second (12 percent) offender programs has increased since fiscal year 1984. The characteristics of the men and women who enter first and second offender drunk driver rehabilitation services are generally similar. 17 tables and 2 references