Impact of Treatment and Monitoring on Prince George’s County DWI’s [Sic]

Voas, Robert B.; Tippetts, A. Scott · 1989 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This 1989 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration evaluates the impact of two intervention programs on recidivism among driving while impaired (DWI) offenders in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The study was motivated by the existence of Maryland’s intensive Drinking Driver Monitor Program (DDMP), which requires weekly face-to-face interviews and abstinence verification, and a unique county-operated DWI Facility providing 1–4 weeks of residential diagnostic and therapeutic treatment. The research question focused on whether assignment to the Monitor Program, the Facility, both, or neither significantly affected subsequent DWI offenses. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design, analyzing driving records from 8,938 offenders convicted between August 1985 and December 1988. Researchers merged data from the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles, the DDMP, and the DWI Facility to categorize offenders into four groups: Monitor Program only (n=4,032), Facility only (n=1,181), both programs (n=858), and neither (n=2,867). Cases were excluded if they lacked three years of prior driving history or two years of post-conviction exposure. The analysis controlled for demographic variables and prior offenses, though the authors noted that judges likely assigned more serious offenders to treatment programs, potentially biasing the results against the interventions. The findings revealed that offenders assigned to treatment programs had significantly lower recidivism rates than those who received neither. Specifically, the "Neither" group exhibited a recidivism rate of 35% during the first year, whereas all three treatment groups showed rates of 15% or less. This disparity persisted even when controlling for prior offenses; for instance, first-time offenders in the "Neither" group had a recidivism rate over 35% in the first year, compared to 15% or less for treated first-time offenders. The "Both" group had the highest proportion of prior offenses (38%), indicating they were the most severe cases, yet their recidivism remained low. The authors concluded that the observed benefits of treatment were likely understated because the control group consisted of less serious offenders who also rarely received license suspensions, thereby having less driving exposure than the treated groups. The study concludes that assignment to the DDMP, the DWI Facility, or both significantly reduces DWI recidivism compared to no treatment. The authors suggest that almost all offenders processed through the Prince George’s County court system would benefit from these interventions, with the combination of residential treatment and intensive monitoring yielding the best outcomes. The report highlights the effectiveness of intensive monitoring and structured treatment in reducing repeat offenses, despite the limitations in fully equating the severity of the offender populations.

Key finding

Recidivism rates for offenders not assigned to either the DWI Facility or the Monitor Program were 35%, which was considerably higher than the 15% or less rate observed for offenders assigned to either or both programs.

Methodology

dataset

Sample size: 8938

Provenance

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

Topics

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• dui enforcement