Stockton, Calif. –Superior Court of California, County of San Joaquin is pleased to announce it has been awarded a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The grant program runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, with the goal of reducing the number of persons injured or killed in alcohol-related collisions in San Joaquin County.
The San Joaquin DUI Court Program began in 2008 and targets all repeat DUI offenders in Stockton. The program includes a treatment track designed for offenders with substance dependence or addiction, focusing on providing substance abuse treatment in conjunction with continuous alcohol monitoring, drug testing, and regular court appearances. Additionally, the program will reintroduce a monitoring track focused on monitoring and regular court appearances for repeat offenders who are assessed to not have a dependence or addiction problem.
This grant will allow the San Joaquin DUI Court Program to enhance its established program by focusing on the reintroduction of the two-tier system and capacity building. The grant provides two full-time case managers. Case managers service the courts and community by assisting the Court with improving offender accountability, increasing court appearance rates, and enhancing retention and successful completion of outcomes of DUI Court Program participants.
The grant will also support the Choices and Consequences school outreach program to educate middle school and high school students on the dangers of driving while under the influence. The Court has adapted the program to continue in a virtual environment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and expects to reach several hundred students during the grant period.
DUI Court partners with healthcare treatment providers, social services, and other community-based organizations to develop an effective course of treatment for participants through a combination of judicial supervision and other supportive services.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.