HENNEPIN COUNTY'S TWO-DAY SENTENCING POLICY HAS CUT NIGHTTIME INJURY CRASHES

This article presents a summary of the results obtained in Hennepin County where the Municipal Court judges voluntarily agreed to start sentencing all drivers convicted for the first time of alcohol-related offenses to serve two days in jail. It appears that the sentencing of DWI offenders to two days in jail has been met with a large degree of success. The courts have not become overburdened with trials; the workhouse has not become chronically overcrowded; nighttime injury accidents and traffic fatalities are down; and drinkers who perceive an increased likelihood of punishment report changing their drinking and driving behavior. Response from the criminal justice community and the public has been favorable, with an increase in public safety as the ultimate result.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00410721
• Corporate Authors:

  National Safety Council

  444 North Michigan Avenue
  Chicago, IL  United States  60611
• Authors:
  • Falkowski, C L
• Publication Date: 1985-9

Media Info

• Pagination: 5 p.
• Serial:
  • Traffic Safety (Chicago)
  • Volume: 85
  • Issue Number: 5
  • Publisher: National Safety Council
  • ISSN: 0041-0721

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crimes; Drunk drivers; Drunk driving; Highway safety; Measures of effectiveness; Offenders; Prisons; Safety; Traffic safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness; First time offenders; Incarceration
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00453192
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-039 358
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 28 1986 12:00AM