DOI: 10.3886/icpsr03186
title: Evaluating a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Night Drug Court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, 1997-1998
title: Archival Version

description: The purpose of this study was twofold. First, researchers
 wanted to assess the benefits of the driving while intoxicated (DWI)
 drug court established in the Las Cruces, New Mexico, Municipal Court
 in an effort to determine its future viability. This was accomplished
 by examining the behaviors and attitudes of three groups of convicted
 drunk-drivers and determining the extent to which these groups were
 different or similar. The three groups included: (1) non-alcoholic
 first- and second-time offenders (non-alcoholic offenders), (2)
 alcoholic first- and second-time DWI offenders (alcoholic offenders),
 and (3) chronic three-time (or more) DWI offenders (chronic
 offenders). The second purpose of this study was to explore police
 officers' attitudes toward court-based treatment programs for DWI
 offenders, while examining the distinguishing characteristics between
 police officers who support court-based programs for drunk drivers and
 those who are less likely to support such sanctions. Data for Part 1,
 Drug Court Survey Data, were collected using a survey questionnaire
 distributed to non-alcoholic, alcoholic, and chronic offenders. Part 1
 variables include blood alcohol level, jail time, total number of
 prior arrests and convictions, the level of support from the
 respondents' family and friends, and whether the respondent thought
 DWI was wrong, could cause injury, or could ruin lives. Respondents
 were also asked whether they acted spontaneously in general, took
 risks, found trouble exciting, ever assaulted anyone, ever destroyed
 property, ever extorted money, ever sold or used drugs, thought lying
 or stealing was OK, ever stole a car, attempted breaking and entering,
 or had been a victim of extortion. Demographic variables for Part 1
 include the age, gender, race, and marital status of each
 respondent. Data for Part 2, Police Officer Survey Data, were
 collected using a survey questionnaire designed to capture what police
 officers knew about the DWI Drug Court, where they learned about it,
 and what factors accounted for their attitudes toward the program.
 Variables for Part 2 include police officers' responses to whether DWI
 court was effective, whether DWI laws were successful, the perceived
 effect of mandatory jail time versus treatment alone, major problems
 seen with DWI policies, if DWI was considered dangerous, and how the
 officer had learned or been briefed about the drug court. Other
 variables include the number of DWI arrests, and whether respondents
 believed that reforms weaken police power, that DWI caused more work
 for them, that citizens have bad attitudes, that the public has too
 many rights, and that stiffer penalties for DWI offenders were more
successful.
description: Recent research has shown that during the early
 1990s New Mexico had one of the highest alcohol-related accident and
 fatality rates in the United States. In December 1995, a judge
 presiding in the Las Cruces, New Mexico, Municipal Court launched a
 driving while intoxicated (DWI) drug court pilot project. The purpose
 of this study was twofold. First researchers wanted to assess the
 benefits of the drug court in an effort to determine its future
 viability by examining the behaviors and attitudes of three groups of
 convicted drunk-drivers and determining the extent to which these
 groups were different or similar. The three groups included: (1)
 non-alcoholic first- and second-time offenders (non-alcoholic
 offenders), (2) alcoholic first- and second-time DWI offenders
 (alcoholic offenders), and (3) chronic three-time (or more) DWI
 offenders (chronic offenders). The second purpose of this study was to
 explore police officers' attitudes toward court-based treatment
 programs for DWI offenders, while examining the distinguishing
 characteristics between police officers who support court-based
 programs for drunk drivers and those who are less likely to support
such sanctions.
description: Data for Part 1 were collected using a survey
 questionnaire distributed to non-alcoholic, alcoholic, and chronic
 offenders. At each DWI Drug Court session held in Las Cruces'
 Municipal Court during the time period February 24, 1997, to January
 26, 1998, the presiding judge sentenced all newly convicted DWI
 offenders. Once sentencing was over, the judge asked all offenders
 (regardless of the sentence) to talk with members of the research
 team. There were usually three members of the research team present at
 each sentencing session. All convicted drunk-drivers designated by
 the court as either alcoholic offenders or chronic offenders were
 approached by researchers for participation in the study. Five
 non-alcoholic offenders were randomly selected during each session and
 approached for participation in the study. The researchers informed
 each offender of the general purpose of the study and of his or her
 right to refuse to participate in the study. Those agreeing to
 participate were given a questionnaire to complete, which on average
 took between 20 and 45 minutes to complete. Each participant who
 completed a questionnaire was compensated monetarily. Data for Part 2
 were collected using a survey questionnaire designed to capture what
 police officers knew about the DWI Drug Court, where they learned
 about it, and what factors accounted for their attitudes toward the
 program. The survey instrument contained forced choice five-point
 Likert scale questions, visual analogs, and multiple choice and
 ranking questions as well as open-ended questions on police attitudes
 toward DWI legislation and policies. The survey also consisted of a
 four-question leniency index that measured officers' decisions not to
 arrest. The questionnaire was distributed to all police from the
 sheriff's department, the state police, a nearby campus police
 department, and a neighboring metropolitan police department who had the
 opportunity to arrest DWI offenders during March, April, and May of
1997.
description: Part 1 variables include blood alcohol level, jail
 time, total number of prior arrests and convictions, the level of
 support from the respondents' family and friends, and whether the
 respondent thought DWI was wrong, could cause injury, or ruin lives.
 Respondents were also asked whether they acted spontaneously in
 general, took risks, found trouble exciting, ever assaulted anyone,
 ever destroyed property, ever extorted money, ever sold or used drugs,
 thought lying or stealing was OK, ever stole a car, attempted breaking
 and entering, or had been a victim of extortion. Demographic variables
 for Part 1 include the age, gender, race, and marital status of each
 respondent. Variables for Part 2 include police officers' responses to
 whether DWI court was effective, whether DWI laws were successful, the
 perceived effect of mandatory jail time versus treatment alone, major
 problems seen with DWI policies, if DWI was considered dangerous, and
 how the officer had learned or been briefed about the drug
 court. Other variables include the number of DWI arrests, and whether
 respondents believed that reforms weaken police power, that DWI causes
 more work for them, that citizens have bad attitudes, that the public
 has too many rights, and that stiffer penalties for DWI offenders were
more successful.
description: Response Rates: The completion rate for Part 1 was 77.9
percent. The response rate for Part 2 was 58 percent.
description: Presence of Common Scales: Several Likert-type scales were used.
description: Random sampling was used in Part 1.
description: Datasets: 
DS0: Study-Level Files
DS1: Drug Court Survey Data
DS2: Police Officer Survey Data
description: Part 1: All persons convicted of DWI by the Las Cruces
 Municipal Court between February 24, 1997, and January 26, 1998. Part
 2: Police officers who had the opportunity to arrest DWI offenders
during March, April, and May of 1997.
description: The user guide, codebook, and data collection
 instruments are provided by ICPSR as a Portable Document Format (PDF)
 file. The PDF file format was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated
 and can be accessed using PDF reader software, such as the Adobe
 Acrobat Reader. Information on how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat
Reader is provided on the ICPSR Web site.