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What is DUI School & DUI Counseling?

Can the State of Ohio Enforce You to Attend DUI School or DUI Counseling?

For the first offense of driving under the influence, there is a mandatory minimum of 72 hours in jail, if you are convicted of a DUI, in the State of Ohio. However, there can be a court order that replaces the 72-hour jail with a DUI School or DUI Counseling program. But, when School or Counseling is ordered by the court it then does become mandatory for you to attend, because it is a part of your sentencing. The court often refers to this as Drivers Intervention Program or DIP. Since it is a part of the sentence if you do not attend the program you could then face a harsher punishment, such as mandatory jail time and a heavier fine. This is an alternative to jail time that allows an Ohio DUI Attorney to keep his or her client out of jail. Therefore, DUI School & DUI Counseling programs can be made mandatory for you to attend.

What Is DUI School & DUI Counseling?

DUI school is a program that is set up mainly to help an individual that has had an issue with drinking and driving or driving under the influence. In addition, it is also set up to allow someone to make off a court-mandated requirement. These programs must be certified by the State of Ohio and meet certain requirements to be eligible for you to avoid the mandated jail time. The school is usually held at a hotel or a retreat. Once checked in, an individual will be on premise for 72 hours. Most programs have a check in on Thursday evening and a dismissal on Sunday evening. The program usually provides three meals a day when you are attending the program. Here, attendees will be involved in different classes discussing issues they have had and see what can happen when an individual participates in driving under the influence. Most the programs are centered around self-growth. The goal is for you to get on the track of living a life where you avoid the dangers of driving under the influence and avoid the legal troubles that also come with multiple DUI’s in Ohio. Cost of these programs can vary depending on which program you decide to attend and where it is located and whether they request a private or shared room. Thus, DUI school and counseling are programs designed for you to avoid future instances of driving under the influence and future legal troubles that are associated with it.

What Techniques Do The Programs Offer To Help?

There is an array of different techniques that are used in the DUI programs to help the participants. There will usually be a lecture from an Ohio certified instructor. The Instructor will usually outline the content of the sessions. In addition, to the lecture, you can expect some details on how the rest of the session will be carried out. There will be a discussion from the participants and instructor. This means that class participation and individual participation is essential.  It is extremely important that when someone is in this class that he or she participate and discuss whatever the topic of that session is. You should not view this as just a check in the box. It is essential that you gain the skills provided by the program to better yourself. Also, the technique in the program is centered around the idea that the attendees are educated, evaluated and empowered by the course. Though it is not always comfortable to speak at the class or the program like this you must understand that it is a safe environment and the people who are in the room, more likely than not, have had the same or a similar experience. Thus, there are multiple techniques that are used at these programs which enable you to grow.

How Do You End Up Attending DUI Counseling Programs?

There are multiple ways you can end up attending a DUI School or Counseling program. One possibility is you attend the 72-hour program instead of the mandatory minimum 3-day jail sentence when convicted of a DUI in the State of Ohio. Another common way would be a plea bargain. This is where your Ohio DUI Attorney makes a deal with the prosecutor that his or her client will attend the DUI School instead of some other harsher punishment. Lastly, you could take this class as a prevention measure. This is where you may have some kind of substance abuse issue and you take the class to try to prevent it from becoming worse, this can be with teenagers or someone charged with a more minor offense. Therefore, there are a couple different ways you can end up at a DUI program but the end goal is always the make sure you’ve grown and begun recovery for any issues with alcohol that you may be facing.

How Can A DUI School & Counseling Program Help Someone Who Has Been Convicted Of A DUI?

DUI School and Counseling can help you personally and legally. Personally, you can discover more about yourself and possible issues you have and how to work with it, so you can make positive changes. Legally the program can help because it can lower the penalty from something that was harsher. Also, it can show that you are proactive in seeking help for yourself which the court will look favorably on. Therefore, there are a few different ways the DUI School & Counselling program can help.

Please contact your Ohio DUI Attorney and discuss the particulars of your case and your options of DUI School & Counseling.