Courts work to stop drivers from driving drunk

COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET HIS ACT TOGETHER UNTIL HE'D RACKED UP 24 DWI ARRESTS IN THE...  More »

COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET HIS ACT TOGETHER UNTIL HE'D RACKED UP 24 DWI ARRESTS IN THE 80'S AND 90'S. A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN. TONIGHT WE SHOW YOU HOW THE COURTS ARE WORKING TO KEEP DRUNK DRIVERS FROM MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES OVER AND OVER AGAIN. JOE VIGIL TAKES YOU INSIDE TWO PROGRAMS AIMED AT STOPPING THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF DWI. WITH ALL THE HUFFING AND PUFFING... YOU'D THINK YOU'RE AT A DWI CHECKPOINT. BUT THIS IS METRO COURT... AND ITS DWI FIRST OFFENDER ENHANCED PROGRAM. 'I don't want to do this again. I'm going to stay away from drinking and driving. A lot of people say that. Yea but I am serious.''Even a first offense for us is too many but once the first one happens we want to stop the cycle.' ANYONE POPPED FOR DWI IN BERNALILLO COUNTY WILL BE ASSESSED FOR THE PROGRAM. FIRST TIME OFFENDERS WILL AVOID JAIL IF THEY COMPLETE IT. 'It would be easier for us to throw everyone in jail, they do their time they get right back out and we haven't changed anything.' PEOPLE DETERMINED TO BE AT A HIGH RISK FOR DRINKING AND DRIVING AGAIN MAY HAVE TO SHOW UP EVERY WEEK ---TAKING BREATHALYZER TESTS.... RANDOM DRUG TESTS---AND ATTENDING COUNSELING. THEY HAVE TO ATTEND A DWI VICTIM'S IMPACT PANEL--DWI DRIVING SCHOOL-- DO COMMUNITY SERVICE AND GET AN IGNITION INTERLOCK. 'You have to go through a lot of stuff.' SOME WILL STAY IN THE PROGRAM UP TO A YEAR. BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS JUST TWO YEARS OLD METRO COURT SAYS IT'S HARD TO TRACK RESULTS -- BUT THINK IT'S HELPING. IF YOU DON'T GET THE MESSAGE HERE ---THEN YOU COULD END UP IN DWI DRUG COURT. THAT'S FOR PEOPLE WITH TWO TO FIVE DWI ARRESTS. 'I'm going to get all emotional, sorry. Before drug court I spent a lot of my time partying.' THIS IS DWI DRUG COURT GRADUATION DAY FOR TWO TIME OFFENDER NATASHA LORETTO. SHE HAD TO DO A LOT TO MAKE IT TO THIS DAY. IN DRUG COURT SOME DRUNK DRIVERS GET COUNSELING 4 TIMES A WEEK, MEET WITH A PROBATION OFFICER TWICE A WEEK, MEET WITH A JUDGE EVERY TWO WEEKS, GET RANDOM DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTS 3 TO 4 TIMES A WEEK, RECEIVE ACUPUNCTURE TO DEAL WITH CRAVINGS AND DO COMMUNITY SERVICE. SOME OFFENDERS CAN STAY IN THIS PROGRAM MORE THAN A YEAR. '..keep them from repeating the behavior over and over again.'DWI DRUG COURT IS 11 YEARS OLD. OFFICIALS SAY ONLY 12-PERCENT OF THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE BEEN NAILED FOR DWI AGAIN SINCE THE PROGRAM STARTED. 'Those that get sentenced just to jail ...40% recidivism rate.'AND WHILE LORRETO HAS MADE FRIENDS---DRUG COURT LEADERS DON'T WANT TO SEE HER HERE EVER AGAIN. 'It was overwhelming at first but something I needed.' PEOPLE IN D-W-I DRUG COURT PAY PART OF THE COST. THE STATE IN TURN PAYS JUST UNDER TWELVE DOLLARS A DAY PER PERSON. THE COST TO KEEP SOMEONE IN ALBUQUERQUE'S MAIN JAIL IS 75  « Less