Date of Award

Spring 5-16-2007

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Abstract

Alcohol related deaths and injuries on our roadways continue to take a significant toll on society. Despite aggressive educational campaigns, stiff fines and jail time the incidence of DUI arrests or worse yet, DUI related accidents are on the rise. Sacramento County has the ominous distinction of having the highest rate of alcohol-involved accidents, injuries and deaths per capita in the State of California. (California Office of Traffic Safety, 2004)

In response to this problem, the Sacramento City Police Department and the Sacramento County's Sheriff’s Department will be piloting a program called the Behavior and Driving Safety Study Program. Beginning in July 2007, when a multiple DUI offender is booked into the Main Jail (central booking facility for the County), he/she will be asked to voluntarily participate in a "Behavior and Driving Study". All offenders who agree to participate will be asked to complete a questionnaire that asks them to discuss their perceptions about drinking and its impact on their life. Participants will then be selected and placed into the control group where they will be sent back to their cell to await release or they will be placed in the test group where they will receive a thirty-minute motivational interview (intervention) conducted by a mental health professional employed by the jail psychiatric services program. The goal of these interviews (interventions) is to determine whether a motivational interview administered shortly after the second or subsequent DUI arrest decreases the likelihood of repeat DUI arrests within two years. (IRB UC Davis, 2007) For the purposes of my analysis, I will seek to determine through key informant interviews and a substantial literature review if it is likely that the addition of a motivational interview will positively impact the behavior of multiple DUI offenders and, therefore, result in reduced DUI recidivism.

A key informant survey was conducted to determine the potential efficacy of the Driving and Safety Study Program as defined. Survey participants responses indicated that they anticipated that the pilot would have some impact on offender behavior; however, they also anticipated that the pilot would fall short of expectations due to their belief that the program should be linked to mandatory alcohol and drug treatment. The secondary data collected through a literature review suggested that motivational interviewing would be an effective component in motivating offenders to recognize and commit to changing their drinking behaviors, however, the studies also indicated that the strongest model was a program that combined external behavioral sanctions (fines, vehicle impound, arrest) with alcohol and drug treatment.

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