Falling Through the Rehab Net

In 2009, a US Department of Health and Human Services survey reported that 26% of Wisconsinites admitted they had driven while drunk in the previous year. That’s the highest percentage in the nation. Since then, under pressure from groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the state Legislature has beefed up drunk driving laws, requiring breathalyzer ignition devices and increasing penalties — including jail time — for repeat offenders. But simply throwing drunk drivers in jail hasn’t seemed to do the trick. Despite court-orders for alcohol treatment, most convicted of DUI receive little or no rehab while in prison, and recidivism is high. So seven Wisconsin Counties are trying something new. Sean Kirkby from the Center for Investigative Journalism has been working on this story, part of the CIJ’s ongoing look at the state Department of Corrections.