A Proud Moment

I had the absolute pleasure to meet with a judge today and learn more about the new program that Minnesota has implemented to address multiple DWI offenders. I can honestly say that I was thoroughly impressed with the program and I am proud to be a (future) part of the profession that designed it.

First, it's not THAT new. It started in 2007, but for a program like this, that's still in its infancy.

You see, the state of Minnesota, particularly the judge that created the program, has created a program that addresses DWI offenses by dealing with the real problem: Alcoholism.

Sure, some people just made a "mistake." Those people get punished, learn and don't do it again. That's not what this program does. This program is designed to take care of the people who get 3, 4, or more DWI's and the legal system (obviously) isn't cutting it.

Those people are alcoholics. Which means they have mental, emotional, and physical issues that need to be addressed beyond just throwing the book at them. Putting them in jail isn't going to fix the underlying issues they're going through. Getting them sober will.

So, instead of serving 1-year jail time for a 4th offense (Felony) DWI, you can apply for this program. The program combines medical treatment, rehabilitation and probation with a strict accountability in the courts.

Court-room accountability:

In most other situations, you see the judge, get sentenced and never see the judge again (unless you get in further trouble.) In this program, you see the same judge every week (which decreases in frequency as you get sober and progress in the program.) This forces a courtroom accountability and allows the judge to still implement jail time or other sanctions (such as fines) if the offender is not following-through on their required programs.

It also incorporates a reward system, which few legal proceedings do. For various months of sobriety and other milestone accomplishments within the program, the offenders are given minor rewards (such as $10 Starbucks gift cards) for their progress.

Further, the judge is 33 years sober himself (having done it with treatment and support from his family.) He really knows what these offenders are going through. He "gets it." And as the offenders get and STAY sober, he's with them to celebrate, support and guide.

Medical Treatment & Rehab:

The court works with particular rehab facilities to incorporate the medical aspects of the treatment. They are usually done on an out-patient basis so the offenders can still hold jobs and take care of their families. But the doctor and program directors not only sign off on their regular appointments, but also appear each week in court to speak to the rehab progress of the offender.

Counseling:

The court also incorporates a counseling program, like support groups, AA and personal counselors, so that the offenders can address emotional issues that lead them to drink and prevent them from staying sober. These hours are also logged with the court in order to maintain accountability, but the information is kept confidential and not included in their public legal file.

Probation:

Finally, the probation officer in charge of the offender appears in court each week to update on the progress, discuss the logged hours for each required component and to support and congratulate the offenders as they accomplish their goals and make it through the program.The probation officers work collaboratively with the court and the offender to ensure the process continues to work.

Other matters:

There is a defense and prosecuting attorney present in court in case any adversarial matters come up. They ensure that we are still upholding the law (punishing when necessary and taking care of anyone who becomes victim to these offenses). If an issue in law comes up throughout the process they are their to present both sides and work through those issues.

The court also has the local, metro-area police forces involved in the program. They do "home-checks" of the people in the program, which hold the offenders accountable by randomly stopping by their homes, enforcing curfews and ensuring they are sober by giving PBT's or urine tests.

The offenders usually have "Interlock" on their car, which requires the driver to blow into a PBT to start and use their car.

All of these components work together to put people back out on the streets clean and sober and unlikely to drive drunk again. It doesn't help everyone and it costs a lot of money. But based on what I saw about the program, and the program's high success rate, I'd much rather put our tax-payer dollars towards this program then simple jail time. Think about it this way: alcoholics aren't just driving drunk, they're involved in domestic violence, assault, and other crimes and often aren't able to hold jobs or have healthy families. All of these things are addressed in this program and I'd much rather put my tax dollars towards getting these people sober and contributing to their community then throwing them in jail for a year only to re-offend.

Like I said, I was pretty damn proud of my state and my profession today!