San Juan County (N.M.) DWI First-Offense Program
Life periods served
Where the program was applied
Country of application
Description

This is a program to assist individuals incarcerated for the first time for driving under the influence of alcohol with the goal of reducing drunk driving rates.
These first-time offenders are incarcerated for 28 days in a minimum-security facility and receive culturally tailored multicomponent treatment.
There are nine specific treatment components:
1) Alcohol consumption, abuse, and dependence;
2) Health and nutrition;
3) Psychological effects of alcohol abuse;
4) Drinking and driving awareness;
5) Stress management;
6) Setting goals for the immediate future;
7) Family problems and alcohol;
8) Domestic violence;
9) HIV/AIDS prevention.

Impact evaluations

An impact evaluation showed that program participants had a statistically significant improvement in three measures of alcohol consumption – total consumption, drinking days, and blood alcohol content – when compared to the control group. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups in reduction rates for this infraction [1].

Bibliographic reference

[1] Woodall, W. G., Delaney, H. D., Kunitz, S. J., Westerberg, V. S. & Zhao, H. (2007). A randomized trial of a DWI intervention program for first offenders: Intervention outcomes and interactions with antisocial personality disorder among a primarily American-Indian sample. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 31(6), 974–987. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00380.x

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