Posted: Wednesday, November 19, 2014

A new study by a national research firm shows Minnesota’s DWI Court programs are saving taxpayer money by reducing recidivism among targeted DWI offenders.

The findings of the 2014 report were presented today to the Minnesota Judicial Branch’s Drug Court Initiative Advisory Committee by Dr. Shannon Carey, Executive Vice President and Senior Research Associate at NPC Research of Portland, Oregon. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety contracted with NPC Research to conduct the assessment, with the goal of producing a credible and rigorous evaluation of the process and effectiveness of Minnesota’s DWI Courts. The study was funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Key findings from the DWI Court evaluation include:

DWI Courts reduce recidivism: DWI Court graduates (those who completed the DWI Court program) had lower re-arrest rates compared to DWI offenders who experienced traditional court processes at eight out of the nine DWI courts included in the evaluation. The reduction in re-arrest rates ranged from 31% to 78% among graduates of these programs.

Minnesota DWI Courts have completion rates well above the national average: The nine DWI Courts included in the evaluation had completion rates ranging from 65% to 86%, well above the national average of 53% for drug and DWI court programs. In addition, these completion rates are at least double the national completion rate (35%) for intensive, non-court monitored outpatient treatment. According to the evaluation, “this indicates that the court monitoring component in DWI Courts may well lead to participants staying in the program longer, and to higher completion rates.”

DWI Courts save taxpayer money: Six of the seven programs that were included in a cost analysis showed cost savings due to reduced recidivism for DWI Court participants. The average cost savings to local agencies and the state in these six programs ranged from $1,694 to $11,386 per participant over two years. According to the evaluation: “After investment costs are repaid (from the cost savings due to lower recidivism), savings continue to accrue every year, resulting in a continuously growing return on taxpayer investment. For those programs with savings due to positive outcomes, the average rate of return after ten years would be $2.06 on the dollar.”

DWI Courts are one of several types of Drug Court programs in Minnesota. DWI Courts are dedicated to changing the behavior of the alcohol and other drug-dependent offenders arrested for Driving While Impaired. The goal of DWI Court is to protect public safety by using the drug court model to address the root cause of impaired driving, alcohol, and other drug problems. DWI Courts utilize increased supervision; frequent alcohol and other drug testing, including scientifically validated technology to detect ethyl alcohol; and driver’s license reinstatement plans.

“DWI offenders are a threat to public safety and themselves,” said Sixth Judicial District Chief Judge Shaun Floerke, co-chair of the Drug Court Initiative Advisory Committee. “DWI Courts focus on DWI offenders that are of the highest risk to re-offend, and work to break their addiction to drugs or alcohol so they don’t endanger the public in the future. These programs also help participants take control of their own recovery and often help offenders reestablish personal relationships, secure employment or job training, and get their lives back on track. We are pleased to see Minnesota’s DWI Courts are having a real impact on public safety and people’s lives.”

The nine DWI Courts evaluated in the study include programs in the following counties: Beltrami, Cass, Crow Wing, Hennepin, Lake of the Woods, Otter Tail, Ramsey, Roseau, and St. Louis.

Dr. Carey, who presented the report, has worked in the areas of criminal justice and substance abuse treatment for over 10 years, particularly in the area of drug courts and cost analyses. Her experience includes managing, designing, and implementing evaluations of programs related to substance abuse prevention and treatment, and adult criminal justice and juvenile justice policy.

A copy of the NPC Research evaluation can be found here.