More suburbs finding value in creating DWI courts

After Mark Crompton received his third citation for drunken driving in December, the 22-year-old was given an option: Take the standard 90 days in prison or participate in an intensive court program for repeat offenders that would reduce time behind bars.

Crompton chose the latter, enrolling in the Ramsey County DWI Court program that now is expanding to the suburbs.

"It's a chance for people to really change," said the young man from Shoreview. "But it's really intensive. You've got to show up in court once a week. Go to treatment. Do community service. You've got to commit to it.

"I'm totally for all of Ramsey County doing it."

The DWI court program started three years ago in St. Paul -- and then spread to Hennepin and St. Louis counties -- as a way to solve the root problems of drunken driving.

It's an 18-month program modeled after the successful drug courts that were developed in the 1990s.

The program is moving to the suburbs because that's apparently where most offenders are. Bail bond evaluations showed that there are twice as many qualified participants getting arrested in suburban cities as in St. Paul, said Niki Leicht, DWI Court program coordinator.

"It improves life outcomes and saves taxpayer dollars," said White Bear Lake Police Chief Lynne Bankes.

Drunken driving is a persistent problem, she said. In 2007, White Bear Lake police arrested 383 people for drunken driving, she said. Fifty-seven percent were first-time offenders, 30 percent were second-time offenders, and 12.5 percent had three or more offenses. Fewer than 1 percent qualified for felony drunken driving charges, which would mean a fourth charge in 10 years.

In 2006, 3,234 drunken driving citations were issued in Ramsey County, the most current data available. Of those, 2,091 were first-time offenders, 649 were second-time offenders and the remaining 494 had at least three citations. And 10 of the 20 traffic fatalities that year involved drunken drivers.

To qualify for DWI Court, people must have been charged with three or more drunken driving offenses and have no violent criminal history.

The DWI Court is held every Thursday afternoon in the county courthouse in downtown St. Paul. That's when participants make their check-ins with one of the two DWI Court judges. Appearances are weekly at first and later less frequent. That accountability is considered a key component of the program.

Last Thursday, about 10 of the 38 participants enrolled in the program were sitting on the court benches, waiting and watching as their colleagues walked up to District Judge Thomas Mott's bench. The mood was relaxed.

One neatly dressed young man apologized to Mott for missing his urinalysis test that week. Mott sanctioned him with four hours of community service work, and then asked casually, "How's everything?"

The man opened up, telling Mott about a history class exam he'd just taken, his A and B grades for the quarter and his job. When he was finished, Mott gave him a resounding "Good job!"

Crompton was in good spirits when he walked up to Mott's bench and the judge noted he'd reached his 90-day milestone with the program. His fellow program participants sitting in the benches burst into applause.

"Ninety days really seems like something," Crompton told Mott. "But it ain't easy."

After court recessed, Mott said he appreciated the opportunity to get to know the participants in the program and to let them know that "authority" can be on their side.

"It's having someone else on their side [who] before they just feared," he said.

North St. Paul Police Chief Tom Lauth recently attended one of the team meetings for the program and was impressed. It makes sense to extend the program to the suburbs because drunken driving crosses police jurisdictions, he said. Plus the program itself offers an important approach to dealing with drunken driving, he said.

"Alcoholism is a disease, and it needs a different treatment protocol than locking people up and hoping they'll get it," he said. "It's an innovative program that shows promise."