Local News

Actions

UPDATE: Las Vegas Justice Court receives grant for DUI program

Suspected DUI driver hits NHP vehicle
Posted at 1:48 PM, Aug 24, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-25 08:49:16-04

Las Vegas Justice Court received a $50,000 grant from the Nevada Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety for its 2021 Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Treatment Court program.

Established in 2003, the specialty DUI Treatment Court offers a comprehensive treatment program for misdemeanor DUI offenders, which includes treatment services and court supervision, and holds program participants accountable through the use of alcohol/drug monitoring technology, random observed alcohol/drug testing, and the use of timely and appropriate sanctions for non-compliance.

The grant allows for the continued placement of a Specialty Courts Coordinator with DUI Treatment Court at Las Vegas Justice Court.

Last year 124 defendants participated in the program with a retention rate of 93.6 percent and recidivism rate of 1.4 percent, which supports the effectiveness of the program. One goal of the program is to move impaired drivers into treatment programs rather than plea to a lesser offense.

The coordinator’s duties include screening defendants to ensure they meet program admission criteria, evaluating participants for substance abuse, mental illness and other issues that require clinical treatment and case management services, referring participants to appropriate types and levels of care and other community resources, and tracking and monitoring new program participants, successful graduates, and unsuccessful terminations among other duties.