Research Update on DWI Courts

This review demonstrates the effectiveness of DWI Courts on DWI recidivism and general recidivism while they provide significant cost savings to taxpayers. Sections of this document cover: conclusions of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB); effects on recidivism; duration of effects; motor vehicle crashes; cost-effectiveness; and concluding remarks of tangible and intangible benefits. "That DWI Courts reduce recidivism is no longer a matter of debate or conjecture. The most conservative estimate is that DWI Courts reduce DWI recidivism and general criminal recidivism approximately 12 percent better than other sentencing options, and the best DWI Courts are as much as 60 percent better. Contrary to assumptions, DWI Courts often do not cost more to administer than traditional probation because they shorten the time period required to supervise offenders and reduce overreliance on incarceration. Taking into account the cost benefits achieved from better outcomes, DWI Courts have saved local communities nearly $1,500 per participant within two years and more than $5,000 per graduate" (p. 6).