Argument

Introduction

From 1976 to 2002, several hundred statutory changes were implemented across U.S. states regarding penalties for driving after drinking or driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages (DUI), including changes in per se or presumptive alcohol concentration limits, license suspensions, fines, jail time, and various other penalties. The current study focuses on effects of fine and jail penalties. Specifically, 26 states implemented statutory mandatory minimum fines and 18 implemented mandatory jail penalties for first-offense DUI from January, 1976 through December, 2002. Despite modest evidence of effectiveness, a broad movement in the 1980s advocated for increased penalties as a key way ...