NCJ Number
172984
Journal
Alternatives to Incarceration Volume: 3 Issue: 5 Dated: September-October 1997 Pages: 16-18
Date Published
1997
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The effectiveness of ignition interlock programs in preventing recidivism was studied using information from 1,396 repeat alcohol offenders with suspended or revoked driver's licenses in Maryland.
Abstract
The participants were eligible for license reinstatement after undergoing a variety of treatment programs. Participants were assigned randomly to either an experimental ignition interlock program or to a control group. The alcohol-related traffic arrest rate was compared for 1 year following program assignment. Results revealed significant differences between the two groups. Seventeen of the 698 members (2.4 percent) of the interlock group and 46 of the 698 members (6.7 percent) of the control group committed alcohol traffic violations during the year. It did not appear that the interlock devices could be successfully circumvented; newer models with technological improvements may reduce this possibility even further. Findings suggested that an interlock program is most effective when incorporated into an existing treatment process that includes careful case selection and subsequent monitoring. The findings gave no support for interlock programs as a stand-alone treatment approach for multiple traffic violators. Findings also suggested that interlock restrictions may have to be maintained indefinitely for certain chronic populations. Photograph