NCJ Number
168207
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 24 Issue: 3/4 Dated: (1997) Pages: 1-17
Date Published
1997
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Recidivism rates were studied for 3,994 first-time offenders in Texas who were arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) and who either chose a pretrial intervention (PTI) program or were convicted of DWI and sentenced to DWI education classes and probation.
Abstract
The PTI program participants were each assigned to a caseworker and were under supervision for 3-12 months. The PTI program consisted of a State-certified DWI class; an alcohol abuse class; and an alcohol interaction group with alcohol evaluation, as necessary, to determine the nature and scope of their problem. Data were collected from 10 randomly selected cohorts of 400 participants per year from 1981 to 1990 in El Paso County (Tex.). A logistic regression analysis was used to conduct a discrete-time survival analysis of the data. Results revealed that offenders who were convicted of DWI and put on probation had a 47-percent greater risk of a rearrest for DWI than did individuals who completed the PTI program. Findings indicated that a pretrial intervention program can be an effective adjunct to traditional criminal case disposition for first-time DWI offenders. Table, figures, and 40 references (Author abstract modified)