Eighteen-month Planning and Evaluation Report of the Probation Alcohol Treatment Demonstration Project in Suffolk County (NY)

• NCJ Number: 77510
• Author(s): J J Golbin; N Bannon; B J Samson; S Powers; C DollePowersDolle S, C
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 87 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: New York State
• Corporate Author: Suffolk County Probation Dept; New York State; New York State
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This report describes and evaluates the first 18 months of operation of a Suffolk County, N.Y., program designed to deal with the problems of multiple offenders with records of repeated drunk driving arrests.

Abstract

The project's unique characteristic is that probation officers and alcohol counselors work as a team rather than as separate agencies referring cases to one another. Using a reality-oriented approach, the program uses both the Mortimer-Filkins screening instrument at the time of investigation and frequent Alco-sensor tests to reduce the denial and manipulation which are often characteristic of active alcoholics. The alcohol counselor and the probation officer jointly conduct an 18-week group counseling program for those accepted into the project. The project also includes intensive supervision under probation and individual counseling. The project's overall goal is to determine whether a probation sentence with an alcohol treatment program will result in reduced accidents and drunk driving convictions for multiple drunk driving offenders. Analysis of the program's operation and results from July 1980 through December 1980 shows that a workable design has been implemented and that the project population is the appropriate target group, as identified in the initial grant proposal to the State governor's traffic safety committee. Over 90 percent of the first cohort on probation has remained free of arrests for drunk driving after an average followup time of 14 months. For the second group, 44 out of 45 have remained free of arrests for drunk driving. These results are much better than would be projected based on the population's risks. The recidivism was entirely among those initially identified as the highest risks. Other chemical, correctional, or treatment procedures may be needed for this recidivist group. Results support the concept of integrated interagency program designs. Figures, charts, tables, footnotes, six references, and appendixes presenting background data and a form are provided.