DUI Diagnostic Assessment Services for Second and Subsequent Offenders

Region XV CDC has a designated staff member(s) responsible, accountable, and trained to administer the DUI assessment and implement the program procedures.

Individuals receiving DUI assessment/treatment services through a DUI Outpatient Program Track will receive a minimum of twenty (20) hours of direct service (individual and/or group therapy), in no less than ten (10) separate therapeutic sessions or as otherwise specified by the DMH BADS, before receiving the DMH Certification of DUI In-Depth Diagnostic Assessment and Treatment Form. Documentation of treatment will be maintained in the individual’s record.
Mississippi’s DUI ignition-interlock law is in effect that allows a judge to order breath-testing devices to be placed on offenders’ vehicles.The devices would prevent drivers from starting their vehicles if their blood-alcohol content is above the legal limit.

The DUI Diagnostic Assessment consists of the following components and will be documented in the individual’s case file:

 

  1. Motor Vehicle Report from an official governmental source such as the MS Department of Public Safety, or comparable agency (or a copy of a dated written request to DPS) i.e., release of information document or form.
  2. Results and interpretation of the SASSI, or other DMH Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Abuse approved tool. In order to administer the diagnostic tool, at least one (1) staff member will be certified.
  3. An Initial Assessment.

The acronyms DWI and DUI stand for driving while intoxicated and driving under the influence. These terms describe the crime of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.


A driver’s intoxication level is determined by his or her blood alcohol content (BAC), which is a measure of the concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream. It is normally measured as mass per volume. Someone with a BAC of 0.02% has 0.02 grams of alcohol per 100 grams of blood. Each county and state in the United States has its own legal blood alcohol limit for driving. The legal percentages range from as low as 0.02% to as high as 0.08%. Everywhere in the United States it is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or higher.


Consuming drugs or alcohol prior to driving greatly increases the risk of car accidents, highway injuries, and vehicular deaths; the greater the amount of alcohol consumed, the more likely a person is to be involved in an accident. In 2006, approximately 17, 600 people died in traffic crashes involving alcohol. In that same year, over 1.46 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Some legal consequences of driving under the influence include:


  • Revoking the driver’s license (most effective way of reducing drunk driving).
  • Jail sentences.
  • Confiscating license plates.
  • Impounding or immobilizing vehicles.

Repeat offenders sometimes have an interlock device installed in their vehicle that measures the driver’s BAC and prevents him or her from starting the automobile if intoxicated.

For more information, call 601-634-0181