Driving while impaired (DWI) courts are a justice intervention designed to improve impaired drivers’ compliance with substance use treatment and other conditions of community supervision and to refrain from further impaired driving. Modeled after adult drug courts, DWI courts require participants to attend ongoing status hearings in court, complete an intensive regimen of substance use treatment and other indicated services, and undergo random or continuous testing for alcohol or drug use. Participants receive sanctions for violations of program conditions and rewards for positive achievements that steadily increase in magnitude over successive infractions or accomplishments.

Author:

Douglas B. Marlowe, J.D., Ph.D.
Chief of Science, Law, and Policy, NADCP

Date: 2010