agreed that while treatment is more often available today than has been the case previously, they also noted that the quality and diversity of treatment services and the qualifications of treatment providers vary substantially. In all jurisdictions, it was reported that those treatment agencies that are eligible to accept insurance coverage are generally staffed with more qualified providers. Moreover, practitioners agreed that fewer specialized or comprehensive services are generally available to drunk drivers than was the case a decade ago.
Case processing. Practitioners consistently agreed that their colleagues generally endeavor to supervise and treat male and female drunk drivers in an equal fashion using the same strategies. It is estimated that half of the practitioners reported that female drunk drivers are not treated differently than males and that women are offered the same types of pleas and receive the same sentences as men. They also noted that women are more likely to receive sentences involving a period of custody today than was the case in the past. Of interest, some practitioners also noted that in the case of jury trials, female jurors are more likely to be harder on female drunk drivers than they are on males.
Conversely, the balance of practitioners indicated that although male and female drunk drivers are likely to be processed in the same way, courts still tend to be more lenient with females. It was noted that perceptions about women remains an influencing factor although to a lesser degree than has been the case historically. These practitioners also agreed that females were more likely to plea to a lesser charge or receive a suspended sentence, and acknowledged that this is often to avoid children being placed in the custody of the State. Some practitioners suggested that women are more often able to manipulate the system and that some female drunk drivers will try to use their children (e.g., bring them to court) in order to avoid more serious sanctions.
Among practitioners, probation officers reported that one of the limitations of current practices in the justice system is that they often do not receive any information about the arrest of drunk drivers and, unless offenders are screened by the probation department, they often do not have any objective history of substance use and must rely solely on the information that offenders choose to disclose. Hence, this means that intake and initial
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meetings with probationers can take longer because officers have to try to identify relevant issues before being able to determine the most appropriate strategies to manage them.
A majority of practitioners agreed that the biggest barrier to participation in treatment for female drunk drivers is the fear of losing custody of their children, particularly if they are required to attend inpatient treatment and they are a single parent. They further noted that it was not uncommon for women to refuse to attend treatment or to try to postpone attending treatment for this reason.
There was a high level of consensus among practitioners that female drunk drivers are most often required to participate in mixed-gender treatment in a group setting comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds and histories of substance use. There was also considerable agreement that this is generally problematic for females not only because of the diversity of participants, but also because of the small numbers of females in these groups. As such, they report that females are often uncomfortable and unable to discuss or focus on issues of trauma, abuse, or relationships which are frequently contributing factors to their substance use because the group is predominantly male. It was further noted by many practitioners that most treatment agencies strongly promote group counseling only and this makes it difficult for individuals to receive the type of treatment that would benefit them most, regardless of whether they are male or female.
A majority of practitioners reported that there are fewer gender-sensitive or female-only treatment services available to drunk drivers today than was the case even a few years ago, and this is perceived to be a significant issue of concern. It was generally acknowledged that while placement of male and female drunk drivers in an appropriate treatment setting is important to their ability to succeed, the availability of such services is lacking, particularly in rural jurisdictions.
In all jurisdictions, practitioners acknowledged that previously available female-only treatment services have been shut down or discontinued due to funding and resource issues. They indicated that this was also the case in relation to mental health services and, overall, expressed concern about the shrinking or erosion of the range of essential services that are available to all drunk drivers. This results in offenders being placed in treatment programs that are available as opposed to those that are most appropriate.
FEMALE DRUNK DRIVERS |A QUALITATIVE STUDY Practitioner Interview Results
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