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Albuquerque Journal, October 24, 2001

Panels May Not Cut DWI
By Jackie Jadrnak, Journal Staff Writer

Drunken drivers who attend victim impact panels are just as likely to be arrested again for DWI as those who don't attend the panels, according to a study by an Albuquerque researcher.

Female repeat offenders might be even more likely to be arrested for DWI again after attending such a panel, according to the study by Janet C'de Baca, a researcher at the Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest.

Terry Huertaz, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving New Mexico, said she was surprised by the findings. MADD runs the panels, which some DWI offenders are required to attend as part of their sentence. Evaluation forms filled out by participants show 80 percent felt a positive impact from the program, she said.

The panels last about an hour and are made up of people talking about how DWI has affected their lives, either by causing their own injuries or the injury or loss of a loved one.

Scientific studies have been mixed in determining how effective those panels are, C'de Baca said. Her study was published in the current issue of The Journal of Studies on Alcohol.

The study looked at 6,702 people who were arrested for DWI in Bernalillo County from 1989 to 1994. It compared those who were sent to victim impact panels and those who weren't. It compared re-arrest rates between those two groups, breaking down the analysis to compare men and women, as well as first-time and repeat offenders.

The study showed no difference in later DWI arrests in people who did or didn't attend the panels. And it noted that women who already had more than one DWI conviction and attended the panel were even more likely to be arrested again.

"This finding is alarming, suggesting that this intervention, intended to deter drunk driving, may actually increase risk," C'de Baca wrote in the study. She said the tragic stories related in the panels might exacerbate feelings of shame and guilt, and those feelings might lead the person to drink even more.

C'de Baca wouldn't go so far as to say the panels should be scrapped, though. "A program needs to be evaluated by more than one study," she said, adding that a couple published studies have shown reduced recidivism following panel attendance, while three or four have shown no impact.

Huertaz said she thinks the panel has a strong impact on first-time offenders, while repeat offenders might be helped more by alcohol addiction treatment.

Studies have shown the panels have helped the emotional and psychological healing of DWI victims who tell their stories, she said.

Huertaz said she doesn't want to ignore C'de Baca's findings. "We need to look at how to make programs better and more effective. We really need to see what works and what doesn't work."

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