Athens-Clarke County DUI Court receives national recognition

The National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have named the Athens-Clarke County DUI/ Drug Court as one of only four national academy courts in the United States.

As an NCDC Academy Court, the Athens-Clarke County DUI/ Drug Court will help develop, identify and test national best practices for DWI Courts, provide technical assistance and host jurisdictions interested in starting a DWI Court.

The Athens-Clarke County DUI/Drug Court was selected from over 700 DWI Courts nationwide and will serve a term of three years. The National Center for DWI Courts will officially designated the program as an Academy Court during a special ceremony held on May 10, 2017 at 11:30 a.m. at the Athens-Clarke County Courthouse.

“DWI Courts have become one of the most successful innovations for reducing impaired driving and saving lives,” said National Center for DWI Courts Director Jim Research shows that DWI courts are the most successful way to reduce impaired driving, decreasing recidivism by as much as 60 percent, all while saving taxpayers money: an incredible $3.19 for every $1 invested.

Eberspacher. “As an Academy Court, the Athens-Clarke County DUI/Drug Court is a national model for holding DWI offenders accountable while connecting them to the treatment they need to change their lives. The dedication of the DUI/Drug Court Team and the outstanding history of restoring lives and maximizing resources throughout this community made it an obvious choice as a learning site for other jurisdictions.”

Impaired driving is one of the single most serious threats to public safety, and repeat offenders are over-represented in fatal crashes. The AthensClarke County DUI/Drug Court was founded in January 2001 with the goal of reducing impaired driving among repeat offenders. In DWI Court, these individuals are held strictly accountable for their behavior while being supervised closely and given intense substance abuse treatment. To date, Athens-Clarke County DUI/Drug Court has helped more than 800 individuals turn their lives around.

Research shows that DWI courts are the most successful way to reduce impaired driving, decreasing recidivism by as much as 60 percent, all while saving taxpayers money: an incredible $3.19 for every $1 invested.

“As an Academy Court, our team has the opportunity to share the DUI court model and national best practices with communities around the state and nation,” said Judge Charles Auslander, presiding judge of the DUI/Drug Court. “We hope to promote the success of DUI courts and encourage implementation of new DUI courts as well as expansion of existing DUI courts. The ultimate goal is to increase the reach of quality treatment court programs so that anyone affected by a substance use disorder has access to one in their local community.”