DC DUI Treatment Programs

There are a number of different programs those accused of driving under the influence in DC can take. These programs are organized by private companies, the city, and non-profit organizations. They often have different levels depending on the need of the person enrolling. For example, a person facing a first offense DUI with relatively low or no addiction levels to drugs or alcohol may be advised by their DC DUI lawyer to enroll in a first offender alcohol education program or drug education program that would review responsible consumption and responsible actions while socially consuming alcohol.

Meanwhile a person with more than one prior DUI on their record or someone who is suffering from more extreme levels of drug or alcohol addiction might need a more intensive DUI program that can include daily meetings as well as regular drug and alcohol testing. At the most intensive levels, a person can enroll in a residential or inpatient DUI program for a period of twenty-eight days or longer.

Conditions Of Alcohol Programs

DUI programs are sometimes ordered by a judge as a condition of a person’s release while the person’s case is pending. It is almost always ordered by the judge in the event that the person was found guilty of a DUI and is placed under court supervision afterwards. When a person is arrested on allegations of driving under the influence, judges will almost always order that person, at their first court hearing, undergo an alcohol evaluation to determine what, if any, level of alcohol treatment they might need. These assessments are not evidence of the person’s guilt. They are court-ordered conditions for a person being released into the community while their DUI case is pending.

An assessment for an alcohol program cannot be used as evidence that a person is an alcoholic or that a person is guilty of a DUI crime. Sometimes an attorney may advise for a person to enroll in a DUI alcohol treatment program even if the court does not order the person to do so. Enrollment in an alcohol program can be helpful in the negotiations with prosecutors and can be used as evidence to the judge that the person is taking their case seriously.

Oversight of Alcohol Programs

There are a number of different organizations that run DUI education or alcohol education programs. Sometimes these organizations are managed by private companies,the city, or non-profit organizations. In many situations, a person’s health insurance company can sometimes operate their own alcohol education or substance abuse treatment programs that is covered under the person’s health insurance. A person can contract with hospitals or private treatment programs which they would pay for either partially or entirely.

Alcohol Education Programs vs. Traffic Schools

DUI education programs are different from traffic schools, but in many situations both can be required if a person is convicted of a DUI. Attending traffic safety school is almost never enough in and of itself to get someone out of a DUI. However, completing a traffic safety program along with an alcohol program can be very helpful in advocating for a more favorable result in the person’s case. Before you enroll in a traffic or alcohol program, you should consult with a lawyer, so you understand the different types of programs that might be helpful to the case and what kind of programs might be acceptable to the courts and to the prosecutors.

Online Courses

Defense attorneys and courts do not recommend that people enroll in online DUI courses. These courses exist but in nearly every situation, the courts and the prosecutors in DC do not accept online courses. In order for the courts to accept that a person completed a DUI education program, they require that the program be done in person and consist of at least ten to twelve hours of treatment. For those facing their second or subsequent DUIs or have more severe alcohol or drug issues, longer or more intensive DUI courses may be advisable. This may include programs that consist of up to twenty or more hours of treatment.

Education Materials in DUI Cases

The education materials used in DUI courses range from worksheets to oral lectures by psychologists or alcohol treatment specialists. DUI or alcohol treatment courses can have sessions that include private one-on-one meetings, group participation in discussions, and question and answer sessions.

Some of the more intensive DUI programs may require medications that give a person a nauseous or sick reaction to drugs and alcohol, so that the person will not physically be able to consume these substances.

Requiring medications is not used for most DUIs, especially not for those facing a DUI for the first time. These programs are more common conditions where the person may be charged with their second or third DUI or have a more severe alcohol addiction problems.

DUI Group Therapy

DUI group therapy or treatment activities can include discussions about alcohol consumption, frequency of alcohol consumption, circumstances in which people consume alcohol, and the reaction people have when they consume alcohol to a point where they no longer have control over themselves. Sometimes group treatment discussions revolve around underlying psychological or emotional issues that can lead to alcoholism or drug addiction and how to deal with those underlying issues, so people have responsible attitudes towards alcohol consumption.