It’s not often that people who have been through a court system come back to thank it, but with the new and boldly successful Sobriety Courts in Michigan, this is precisely the case.
A number of Sobriety Courts have been established in Michigan since the late 1990s and early 2000s as an alternative to traditional trials and punishments for people who have incurred repeat misdemeanors as a result of chronic substance abuse problems. Instead of a mechanical sentencing process, a sobriety court is more akin to a stern, government-backed rehabilitation program. Individuals who have found themselves unable to kick the bad habit of appearing before the bench on drunk driving charges and are staring down serious jail terms may petition to be transferred to Sobriety Court. While it may still lead to a jail sentence, it’s typically reduced or eliminated altogether, in favor of a gauntlet of trials and tests for the subject to show their determination of staying dry.
The requirements differ from county to county, but they typically involve up to 24 months of community service, therapy, periodic drug and alcohol tests, attendance of Alcoholic Anonymous meetings, random visits from case officers, and more. Since sobriety is a lifelong process, it takes some doing to convince a Sobriety Court that you have changed your ways. Nevertheless, most people who find themselves with a choice tend to pick court-mandated rehab over jail, and there is a great demand among people facing prosecution for DUI offenses to be transferred to the Sobriety Court.
We would like to emphasize that this isn’t just a weak government program that can be exploited as a get-out-of-jail card. Participants need to prepare themselves for a long and intensive commitment. The reward, at the end, will be a rediscovery of your self-respect and a new lease on life. There is a reason why Sobriety Court programs only a recidivism rate of under 20%, as compared to a 60-80% rate for people who don’t participate in a similar program. If you have multiple drunk driving arrests and convictions, it may be a good idea to ask your Michigan DUI lawyer to recommend you for the Sobriety Court. It may be what you need to turn your life around.
