NCJ Number
161344
Journal
Alcohol, Drugs and Driving Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (January-March 1991) Pages: 63-69
Date Published
1991
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews the research evidence concerning the reformative and deterrent effectiveness of license deprivation for drunk drivers and raises some questions and cautions concerning the costs and benefits of license actions based on experience in a current study of administrative revocation in three States.
Abstract
Reformation of the offender or prevention of recidivism is one of the most important goals of the criminal justice system; however, there is little empirical evidence that most commonly used sanctions for the drunk-driving offender have contributed to attaining this goal. Only one sanction, license deprivation, is strongly supported in the research literature as effective in reforming the drunk driver. Although this accomplishment appears to be far from perfect, it is significant; this claim cannot be made for sanctions such as fines, jail, or community service. Moreover, license deprivation has another promise for justice system goals, that of general deterrence. In contrast to reformation, which applies to the future behavior of the punished offender, general deterrence applies to the future behavior of onlookers. These people may not have committed or been detected in an infraction, but they are expected to be influenced by the fate of those who have been so identified and punished. Most traditional sanctions for drunk driving have not been found to be effective, but license sanctions apparently have their intended consequences. 23 references