In many states, DUI/DWI offenders are required to undergo therapy in order to overcome their addiction and eliminate future driving violations.  Therapy for these individuals usually comes in the form of some sort of substance abuse program.

 

For low to moderate abuse offenders, therapy may involve some sort of group counseling program, led either by a mental health/substance abuse professional or accomplished through participation in a self-help group such as Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous.  Usually, offenders will be assigned a particular number of hours or weeks during which participation in counseling is required, such as 20 hours in group sessions or six months in the self-help setting. 

Many DUI/DWI offenders are asked to attend meetings or presentations sponsored by groups like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) or SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), where they may hear DUI/DWI horror stories from those who’ve lost friends or loved ones in accidents caused by people like themselves.

If offenders are deemed to be high-risk or have committed multiple offenses, they may be sent to residential or inpatient treatment programs, with failure to comply resulting in imprisonment.  Residential programs involve living in a 24-hour-a-day licensed treatment facility where the offender is subject to group and individual counseling and other services that will hopefully result in his living a drug- or alcohol-free life once the treatment is completed.

When imprisonment is court-mandated, therapy programs for DUI/DWI offenders are usually instituted within the confines of the prison and may take several different forms, including group and individual counseling.