NCJ Number
72949
Date Published
1978
Length
117 pages
Annotation
Los Angeles County's Alcohol Safety Action Project (ASAP) was studied to discover the advantages and disadvantages of methods used in five different courts to investigate and classify recidivist drunk driving offenders.
Abstract
Data were collected via a review of the project's literature, site observations, and interviews with important personnel. The comparative analysis showed that the quick and inexpensive presentencing screening and referrral procedure provided by public health investigation staff in the Los Angeles Downtown Traffic Court was superior to other methods, expecially in its efficiency. Services involving extensive investigations provided by the probation department were inappropriate for drunk driver screening and referral, but provided effective long term personal supervision and compliance monitoring. Use by the Van Nuys Municipal Court of volunteers from the local alcoholism council to provide postsentencing investigation, referral, and monitoring support was an efficient and inexpensive procedure, despite a high staff turnover rate. Results supported seven hypotheses. For example, court procedures for drunk driving cases can be routinized so that certain important functions can be handled by personnel other than judges, and classification of defendants into drinker types can be done by almost anyone in the court system. Figures, tables, footnotes, a list of 17 references, and an appendix listing guidelines for California's present investigation program are included. For related case studies and a technical report, see NCJ 72944-48. (Author abstract modified)