Las Vegas Justice Court received a grant for $110,000 from the Nevada Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety for its 2027 Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Treatment Court program.

Established in 2003, the specialty DUI Treatment Court offers a comprehensive treatment program for repeat misdemeanor DUI offenders. While under the Court’s supervision, participants are required to attend treatment services and undergo random alcohol and/or drug testing throughout the program. Program participants are held accountable using alcohol/drug monitoring technology, GPS tracking, breath interlock devices, and timely and appropriate sanctions for noncompliance.

“The DUI Treatment Court program is a critical resource for our community that helps diminish the number of repeat DUI offenders by providing participants with treatment to address underlying substance abuse disorders and change how they think regarding driving under the influence,” said Judge Cynthia Cruz. “Without grant support from the Nevada Department of Public Safety, our ability to serve the number of repeat offenders referred to the program would be significantly limited. We look forward to continuing to work with our community to help reduce the number of repeat DUI offenders on our roadways, and with the grant, we can do so.”

The program’s main objective is to move impaired drivers with more than one DUI arrest into treatment programs to help break their DUI recidivism. Last year, 70 people participated in the program, and only three were terminated or transferred out. This 96% retention rate highlights the program’s effectiveness.

The grant supports the continuation of a Specialty Courts Coordinator for the program. The coordinator’s duties include screening defendants to ensure they meet the program’s admission criteria and evaluating participants for substance abuse, mental health needs, or other issues requiring clinical treatment. The coordinator also oversees case management services by referring participants to appropriate care and community resources, as well as tracking and monitoring new program participants, successful graduates, and unsuccessful terminations.