An Evaluation of Utah’s 24/7 Sobriety Program

Introduction: The Utah Criminal Justice Center (UCJC) has been asked to conduct an evaluation of a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) program being piloted by the Utah Department of Public Safety in conjunction with local partners (i.e., Weber County Sheriff's Office, Weber County Courts, private probation agencies, and Utah Driver's License Division). The 24/7 DUI program is a deterrence-based strategy that utilizes frequent and regular alcohol/drug testing in a community supervision framework. Whereas most DUI programs restrict the ability to drive, the 24/7 program restricts the ability to drink through regular (twice daily) alcohol testing. While the current project is a pilot study conducted in one Utah County, results from the study will be used by the State of Utah to determine whether the program is an effective strategy to reduce alcohol-related recidivism and to guide the statewide implementation of the program.

The Utah Department of Public Safety adopted the 24/7 program to target second-time DUI offenders. Program participants that do not pass an alcohol screening at one of their check-in sessions receive swift, certain, and modest sanctions (i.e., brief jail stays). Individuals enrolled in the program are required to pay for each alcohol/drug screening. Additionally, there is a reward component to the program; participants receive their license back immediately following the payment of their fines and installation of an engine-interlock system in their vehicle. Program personnel at the testing sites also offer verbal praise for receiving a "clean" test (i.e., no presence of alcohol and drugs). Reward- and sanction-based interventions have received increased attention and show promising results in community supervision settings (Viglione & Sloas, 2012; Trotman & Taxman, 2011).

Based on current Utah Law, second-time DUI offenders lose their license for a period of two years if: 1) the person has a prior conviction as defined under Subsection 41-6a-501(2); and 2) the current DUI violation under Section 41-61-502 is committed: a) within a period of 10 years from the date of the prior violation; and b) on or after July 1, 2009. The 24/7 program is intended to have a specific-deterrent effect on its participants. Specific deterrence is achieved when sanctions for criminal behavior discourage a specific individual from engaging in future criminal behavior (DeJong, 1997; Andenaes, 1968). In this case, the 24/7 program would presumably enhance participants' perceptions of the certainty, fairness, and swiftness of the sanctions compared to the typical sanctions received for a DUI violation. The 24/7 program combines aspects of procedural fairness (certainty, fairness, and swiftness of sanctions) with deterrence theory (intensive supervision). Therefore, it is hypothesized that the 24/7 participants would be less likely to commit subsequent alcohol-related DUI offenses and related behaviors compared to the individuals who received "treatment as usual."

Phase I

Study Dates: October 2020
Phase Evaluation Plan and Objectives: UCJC contracted with the Department of Public Safety to evaluate the 24/7 Sobriety Program being piloted in Weber County, Utah. Specifically, UCJC is evaluating various aspects of the 24/7 program. This report addresses the following objectives related to the 24/7 evaluation:

1. Conduct a brief literature review of the history of the origins of the 24/7 program, theoretical underpinnings of the 24/7 program, and research evaluating the effectiveness of 24/7 programs in reducing alcohol-related recidivism.
2. Provide a descriptive analysis of the 24/7 participant sample and the control sample to set the stage for future analyses examining the effects of the program on recidivism;
3. An analysis of 24/7 program stakeholder interviews to gain insight into perceptions about the 24/7 program, including barriers to implementation, program administration, eligibility criteria, recommendations for policy and practice, and participant experiences

Download the Phase 1Report

Phase 2

Study Dates: April 2020
Phase Evaluation Plan and Objectives: This report considers whether there are differences in DUI recidivism between individuals randomly assigned to the treatment and control groups. Specifically, we examine recidivism one year post-sentence date. The limited study timeframe, randomization process, and small sample sizes present some issues to executing the evaluation plan as proposed. UCJC conducted a series of analyses to examine the impact of the 24/7 program implementation on aggregate-level DUI recidivism as well as individual-level changes in DUI recidivism between the treatment and control groups. With respect to the individual-level analyses, it is important to note that there are limitations associated with the random assignment process that should be considered when interpreting the findings. Specifically, stakeholders may have used personal discretion to assign participants to a condition rather than utilizing the court’s assigned condition in all cases.

Because of limitations with random assignment, we used a regression point displacement designanalysis to compare rates of third-time DUI convictions in years prior to 24/7 implementation for the treatment county (Weber County) and all other Utah counties to the rates of third-time DUI convictions in three-year blocks post-24/7 implementation. The regression point displacement design is a quasi-experimental strategy. In this analysis, we examine whether the difference in posttest (i.e., after 24/7 implementation) displacement rates of third-time DUI convictions is statistically significant between Weber County (24/7 implementation) and all other counties in Utah that had not adopted the 24/7 Program during the pilot. UCJC obtained DUI counts by county from the Driver’s License Division (DLD).

We also conduct a series of survival analyses to examine whether program participation had an effect on DUI recidivism. Specifically, this analysis allows us to estimate hazard ratios to determine time-to-event for the treatment and control groups.

UCJC also analyzed survey and interview data from 24/7 Program participants. The surveys and interviews were designed to allow respondents to rank how the program affected their alcohol consumption and describe their experience in, and perception of, the program.

UCJC is evaluating various aspects of the 24/7 Program. The Phase II report addresses the following objectives related to the 24/7 evaluation:

1. Examine survey results of self-reported alcohol use for 24/7 Program participants;
2. Analyze interview data with 24/7 participants to assess patterns in their perceptions of the program and its perceived effectiveness at reducing alcohol misuse;
3. Provide a descriptive analysis of the 24/7 participant group and the control group to examine the effects of the program on recidivism; and
4. Conduct a regression point displacement analysis to compare alcohol recidivism between the treatment county and all other Utah counties prior to and post-24/7 implementation. 5.Conduct survival analysis to estimate time to DUI recidivism for the treatment and control groups.

Download the Phase 2report

Phase 3

Study Dates: September 2021
Phase Evaluation Plan and Objectives: This report considers whether there are differences in DUI recidivism between individuals randomly assigned to the treatment (i.e., 24/7 program) and control groups. Specifically, we examine recidivism two years post-sentence date. The limited study timeframe, randomization process, and small sample sizes present some issues to executing the evaluation plan as proposed. UCJC conducted a series of analyses to examine the impact of the 24/7 program implementation on aggregate-level DUI recidivism as well as individual-level changes in DUI recidivism between the treatment and control groups. With respect to the individual-level analyses, it is important to note that there are limitations associated with the random assignment process that should be considered when interpreting the findings. Specifically, stakeholders may have used personal discretion to assign participants to a condition rather than utilizing the court’s assigned condition in all cases.

Because of limitations with random assignment, we used a regression point displacement design analysis to compare rates of third-time DUI convictions in years prior to 24/7 implementation for the treatment county (Weber County) and all other Utah counties to the rates of third-time DUI convictions in two and a half -years post-24/7 implementation. The regression point displacement design is a quasi-experimental strategy. In this analysis, we examine whether the difference in posttest (i.e., after 24/7 implementation) displacement rates of third-time DUI convictions is statistically significant between Weber County (24/7 implementation site) and all other counties in Utah that had not adopted t he 24/7 Program during the pilot phase. UCJC obtained DUI counts as well as the number of licensed drivers by county from the Driver’s License Division (DLD). We also use data obtained from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (DABC) to account for differences in the availability of alcohol across counties.

We also conduct a series of survival analyses to examine whether program participation had an effect on DUI recidivism. Specifically, this analysis allows us to estimate hazard ratios to determine time-to-event for the treatment and control groups. In order to conduct these analyses, we used arrest record data obtained from the Bureau of Criminal Identification.

UCJC also analyzed surveys from 24/7 Program participants. The survey was partially adopted from the National Survey of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behavior. Additionally, respondents were asked to provide feedback about their experiences in the 24/7 program.

UCJC is evaluating various aspects of the 24/7 Program. The Phase III report addresses the following objectives related to the 24/7 evaluation:

1. Examine survey results of self-reported alcohol use for 24/7 Program participants and assess patterns in their perceptions of the program and its perceived effectiveness at reducing alcohol misuse;
2. Provide a descriptive analysis of the 24/7 group and the control group to examine the effects of the program on recidivism;
3. Conduct regression point displacement analysis to compare alcohol recidivism between the treatment county and all other Utah counties prior to and post-24/7 implementation; and
4. Conduct survival analysis to estimate time to DUI recidivism for the 24/7 and control groups.

Download the Phase 3report

 

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