Dan Saddler, Press Secretary State Capitol, Room 413 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-3804 Fax: (907) 465-4450 Actualities: (800) 478-6540 Web: www.akrepublicans.org Send E-Mail    or    E-Mail List: subscribe

Therapeutic Courts
Measure Passes House
HB 172 Offers Innovative Response
to Repeat Drunken Drivers

(JUNEAU) - Fulfilling one of the Republican Majority's top priorities for the 2001 legislative session, the House today passed a bill creating an innovative court program employing alcohol treatment, medication and intense monitoring to keep repeat drunken drivers off Alaska's streets.

House Speaker Brian Porter (R-Anchorage) sponsored House Bill 172 in response to Alaska's longstanding problem with repeat drunken drivers, which was highlighted last year with several high-profile cases in which alcohol abusers got behind the wheel with tragic, in some cases fatal, results.

"During my career as a police officer I have seen first-hand the devastation that alcohol can cause individuals and families," Porter said. "As a legislator, I have seen what drunk drivers cost all Alaskans, not just the dollars spent on police, courts and prisons, but also the senseless pain and disruption they cause to society as a whole. There is much evidence to indicate therapeutic courts can make a real difference in halting the deadly cycle of repeat drinking and driving, and I am pleased to see the Legislature support this effort to find a solution."

HB 172 would create pilot therapeutic court programs in Anchorage and Bethel that could accommodate a total of about 120 defendants per year. Those pleading guilty to repeat drunken driving charges could volunteer for an intensive program that includes medication to dull the craving for alcohol, intensive out-patient alcoholism treatment, and frequent monitoring by court and other authorities to ensure the offenders stay dry and follow a detailed treatment plan. Offenders who successfully completed the program could receive suspended or reduced sentences, or could remain out of jail under electronic monitoring.

Innovative drug and DWI courts have found success in other states and in Anchorage, where a district court program that also uses medication and intense therapy is showing positive results in keeping offenders clean, sober and out of trouble. By helping individuals stay sober, the state saves on the cost of incarceration and the ongoing cost of repeatedly arresting, trying and jailing offenders. Research suggests the "carrot" of treatment, even under court order, is more effective at keeping drunk drivers off the street than the "stick" of jail time.

"The hard-core alcoholic who knows the risks and consequences but still chooses to drink and drive will, of course, face the full wrath of our criminal justice system," Porter said. "But we hope therapeutic courts will help us intervene early in the careers of others who just need some firm guidance and close oversight to steer clear of a dangerous and ultimately deadly road."

Therapeutic courts are one part of the Majority's anti-drunk driving efforts, Porter said. Other elements include lowering the allowable limit for drivers' blood alcohol content to 0.08 percent; increasing fines and sanctions for drunk driving; mandating treatment for those jailed long term for drunk driving; protecting cabbies from liability while taking impaired drivers or their cars home; recriminalizing juvenile possession and consumption of alcohol; and strengthening anti-bootlegging laws. HB 172 moves next to the Senate for consideration.

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Attachments:

• Sponsor Statement for HB 172
  
• Sectional Analysis for HB 172
  
• Print Friendly Version
  requires Adobe Acrobat Reader - 1 page(s) - 101 K

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| Rep. Porter's Page |

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