A court has developed a DUI program that allows selected participants to follow a treatment plan through changes in state law. Once the treatment plan is completed, the individual’s charges are reduced from DUI to reckless driving.

2020 drunk driving incidents Green Valley Court of Justice Court administrator Kristen Randall said her mental health had deteriorated to the lowest level. However, the number of infected people started to rise in 2021 and surged in 2022.

Now, with the help of a new program, Pima County residents who have not been convicted of a violent crime for the first time are given the opportunity to go through a five-step treatment plan.

During the five phases, participants receive individual and group therapy, undergo regular alcohol and drug testing8, and participate in bi-weekly testing by Magistrate Ray Carroll.

Throughout the plan, which takes 6-12 months to complete, individuals can receive incentives to encourage them during their recovery. The DUI program handbook states that completing the stages may result in reduced fines, fewer court appearances, and gift certificates.

Completion of the program will result in graduation and reduced DUI charges. Randall said the change in charges could be very helpful to people when it comes to background checks.

“If you’re a young person who doesn’t want to start life with a DUI record, that could be a really big deal,” Randall said.

Randall said one person has enrolled in the program so far, and the other three are still figuring out if the program is right for them. As a pilot program, courts have limited the number of participants to 20 at any one time.

“Whether the program blossoms and grows depends on a charter year review filled with quantifiable case studies that show that the program has made a difference,” Carroll said in a news release. “This program may be successful if defendants successfully initiate drug and alcohol counseling appointments, including weekly testing and monitoring.”

The program will be the first of its kind in Arizona, as the participants have not been formally charged. Randall said there are other DUI programs in the state, but participants are charged a fee, and the DUI fee will not be reduced when the program ends, Randall said.

In developing the DUI program, Randall said court officials did about six months of research with great reference to the prison-alternative drug treatment program at the Pima County Superior Court. They also worked with both the county attorney’s office and the public defender’s office.

Because there are no other pre-ruled drunk driving programs in the state, Randall said he is working with courts outside the state that offer similar programs and with the National DUI Court Center. They provided helpful advice, answered questions, and sent us example workbooks.

Data from these courts show that DUI programs like the one launched here are “highly effective.” A Michigan study found that participants were 19 times less likely to be re-arrested for another disabled driving offense than participants treated in traditional courts. NCDC website.

Randall said he hopes the new program will reduce recidivism and will set a model for other courts in Arizona to follow.

“Now is the time to follow data and scientific best practices as we address the rise in criminal prosecutions for extreme stress, substance use disorders and alcoholism,” Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said in a news release. said in “Now more than ever, we must come together as an entire justice system to promote the health and safety of our communities. We applaud Green Valley for their tenacity and determination.”