Criminality among individuals arraigned for drinking and driving in Massachusetts

Criminal record searches of 1406 randomly selected driving under the influence of liquor (DUIL) offenders in Massachusetts revealed a history of prior court arraignments in 76.5% of the cases. Half (51.2%) had been arraigned for criminal offenses other than or in addition to traffic and DUIL, and one-fourth (27.7%) had been previously arraigned for DUIL. Among those with prior DUIL arrests, 68% also had criminal arrests. A 3-year follow-up indicated that 63% of those rearrested for DUIL had prior criminal arrests. Eight subgroups of offenders were created by categorizing the sample according to the presence or absence of criminal, traffic and prior DUIL offenses. Rates of recidivism differed among the subgroups and illustrated the utility of using criminal history data to differentiate DUIL offenders. The need to develop alternative court management-rehabilitation strategies responsive to subgroup differences is discussed.