City/County Alcohol and Drug Programs

In 2004, the Council of Substance Abuse Directors, Division of Alcohol and Substances  Abuse and the USD School of Medicine, in conjunction with the Unified Judicial System, selected a research-based curriculum for first offender DUI's. The curriculum, designed by the Change Companies, addresses the specific needs of South Dakota offenders, i.e., it takes into consideration race factors, education levels, common age groups, of DUI offenders.

The curriculum is an interactive education program created to help defendants, not punish them. It was designed with the belief that people have the power to change  their behavior if they are motivated and provided with the tools to do so. The course provides the motivation and the tools. It allows the defendant to visualize how drugs and alcohol are causing problems in their lives. In addition to providing important information, the program assists defendants in exploring ways they could change the high-risk behaviors that brought them into the court system.