As a counselor for classroom and web based alcohol and drug courses, and a recovering alcoholic myself, I see many repeat DUI offenders. Do you know someone who has received a DUI? How about someone with more than one DUI?
One of the basic principles I live by is that if you have two or more alcohol-related incidents, you have a problem and should seek help immediately. As reported in www.wavy.com.
This holds true for DUIs or a domestic violence charge where alcohol was involved.
Think about that when you read about Macie Pridgen. How can he get help for what is obviously a serious problem with alcohol?
Pridgen has more than 15 traffic infractions and four DUI convictions. The good news is that he will not be on the roads for at least the next five years since he will be in the pokey. Rarely do you see such a strong sentence for drinking and driving.
Do you think stronger penalties, with long prison sentences are the answer? I don’t. We need to think outside the box and find a way to prevent recidivism. Any ideas?
When he pleaded guilty to his fourth DUI offense and he also plead guilty to possession of cocaine. Not surprisingly, this incident occurred during McCall's suspended sentences, when he was ordered to be on good behavior from previous DUI offenses.
McCall is an example of a repeat offender who hasn’t learned his lesson despite three previous DUI convictions. He doesn’t appreciate or fear suspended jail time and he continues to risk the safety of himself and others.
How can rehabilitate a man like Pridgen? Will alcohol classes work? Perhaps if he had taken a DUI class (learn more here) early on he may never had started drinking in the first place.