Evaluation of an Individualized Sanctioning Program for DWI Offenders

Jones, R. K. (Ralph K.); Lacey, John H. · 1998 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (full text — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This report evaluates the effectiveness of the "Todd Program," an individualized sanctioning approach for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) offenders implemented in Rockdale County, Georgia. The study addresses the need to assess whether tailoring sanctions to individual offender characteristics—rather than imposing standard minimum penalties—reduces recidivism. The program, developed by Judge William F. Todd, combines traditional sanctions (fines, jail) with alternative measures (treatment, electronic monitoring, intensive probation) based on factors such as prior offenses, blood alcohol concentration, and demeanor. The evaluation employed a quasi-experimental design comparing DWI recidivism rates between two groups: a test group of 869 offenders sentenced under the Todd Program and a comparison group of 637 offenders from a nearby county that imposed only minimum statutory sanctions. Data were sourced from the Georgia Department of Public Safety driver records and Judge Todd’s sentencing database. Researchers used survival curve analysis to track the time from the index offense to a subsequent DWI, controlling for covariates including age, sex, and number of prior offenses. The study period covered offenses occurring after December 31, 1992, with follow-up until December 31, 1997. The results demonstrated that the Todd Program was significantly more effective at reducing recidivism than the minimum-sanction approach. The test group’s recidivism rate was approximately half that of the comparison group (p<0.0001). Specifically, after one year, 6.0% of the Todd Program participants reoffended compared to 11.1% of the comparison group; after four years, these figures were 13.8% and 24.7%, respectively. This disparity persisted across all levels of prior offenses, with the Todd group’s recidivism rate remaining roughly 54% of the comparison group’s rate at any given time. The analysis indicated that while age and sex did not significantly affect recidivism, the number of prior offenses did. The study concludes that individualized sentencing, characterized by close judicial contact and tailored sanction packages, is a highly effective strategy for preventing future DWI offenses. The authors note that the success of the Todd Program suggests it could be replicated in other jurisdictions, potentially funded through offender fees. The findings highlight that serious individualized sanctioning is underutilized due to resource constraints and lack of information, yet this program demonstrates that such an approach can significantly improve outcomes compared to standard minimum sentencing.

Key finding

Offenders sentenced under the individualized Todd Program had a DWI recidivism rate approximately half that of offenders sentenced under traditional minimum sanctions.

Methodology

field_study

Sample size: 1506

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• dui enforcement