If you’re convicted of driving under the influence in Montana, the law requires you to go to treatment.
Misdemeanor offenders go through the ACT program, or Assessment Course and Treatment. ACT is an outpatient program and treatment is based on the individual.
Felony offenders go through the WATCH program, a 6-month residential treatment program. Since 2002, 90 percent of WATCH graduates have never commit another DUI.
This past fall, Tim Conley, completed a study for the University of Montana. He interviewed 200 felony offenders to find out what will work to prevent DUI’s in Montana.
94 percent of the offenders interviewed by a Conley, told him they’re alcohol dependent and believe they need to be held accountable early on. It takes four DUI’s to go through the WATCH program.
The offenders told Conley, participating in the ACT program, before they were forced to go to WATCH, was easy to avoid.
Skip Rosenthal runs the ACT program for Missoula, Ravalli, Lake and Mineral counties. He agreed that some participants found loopholes. He says that’s because there’s not enough attention on enforcing the laws.
Both Conley and Rosenthal think the solution may lie in DUI court, a system that would hold first or second-time offenders more accountable.
Kalispell already has a DUI court and Missoula is in the process of creating one.
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