Advancement from one phase to the next is dependent upon completion of the phase requirements and final approval of the judge. AA meetings are required throughout the year. Participants appear before the judge once each month for their duration in the program. If the participant is totally compliant, the program can be completed within 12 months. Drug testing is an important component of the DWI Drug Court because, although the offense may be DWI, about 35 percent of those offenders who enter the program because of a DWI also use other drugs.
Drug testing is done at least twice each week for the first two months and randomly thereafter.
The Dona Ana DWI Drug Court Dona Ana County has implemented a Drug Court focused on DWI offenders. Based on the results of the standardized screening, a personal interview, a personal statement written by the offender and practical considerations such as travel distance to the outpatient treatment program, offenders are recommended for entry into the program. Sixteen individuals have graduated from the Las Cruces program and 8 have graduated from the Sunland Park program. Dona Ana County provided information to the SAEU on 94 individuals who entered the Drug Court Program from February 1995 to October 1996. There were six individuals excluded from the analysis due to insufficient information such as social security number, date of birth, admission or discharge date.