Wisconsin Drug Abuse: Wisconsin’s Mandatory Alcohol Education

The state of Wisconsin generally treats a first-time OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) conviction as a civil, rather than a criminal offense. This means that the penalty for a first time offense will not include jail time, unlike in some other states. The legal must be no less than $ 150, which is also mild compared to the laws in some other places.

This does not mean that Wisconsin is lenient on driving under the influence of alcohol, however. The penalties for OWI become increasingly harsh as the number of convictions increases. Strict punishment is not the only, nor necessarily the best, way to address recidivism, however. Like many other states, Wisconsin offers drug and alcohol education in an attempt to discourage OWIs and other dangerous crimes through persuasion, rather than threats.

Any person who has been convicted of OWI, even if it is a first time offense, will be required to undergo an alcohol abuse assessment to be administered by a state or private agency at the expense of the convicted. Even if they are determined to have a drinking problem, they are not legally required to seek treatment of any kind. However, everyone who is convicted of OWI, regardless of their assessment results or number of prior convictions, is required to complete an alcohol education class.

A convicted person’s assessment results will not determine whether they have to take a class, but they have some effect on the time of class the person is required to take. The Wisconsin judicial system tries to match people with the type of class that will be most helpful for them, depending on factors such as their reliance on alcohol or their rate of recidivism. These classes are often hosting in public areas such as community centers and clinics, but they can also be held by private groups. Anyone who wishes to lead an alcohol education course is required to earn certification from the state.

All of these classes have the goal of reducing the rate of OWI offenses. They may discuss the risks of alcohol and drug abuse, identify and address reasons that people abuse alcohol, stress the importance of road safety, work on building students’ self esteem in order to improve behavior, or cover other related topics. Some studies suggest that these classes can be useful in convincing people to change problematic behavior, although some people remain skeptical.

For more information about mandatory alcohol education and related topics, contact Milwaukee OWI defense attorneys Kohler & Hart.

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