As part of your penalties for a DUI conviction, you may be mandated by a Los Angeles court to undergo DUI education programs or DUI classes. These programs are designed to educate offenders about the dangers of alcohol consumption, and driving under the influence of alcohol. They are designed to help prevent repeat DUI offenses.
DUI programs in California must be approved by the Department of Healthcare Services. The Substance Use Disorder Compliance Division Driving under the Influence Unit, is responsible for licensing DUI programs in California. The agency also frequently monitors the compliance of these programs with its objectives and guidelines. Basically, the DUI program is designed to reduce repeat DUI offenses, and give participants a chance to address the alcohol-related problems that they suffer from.
The Department of Healthcare Services currently licenses three separate DUI programs across California.
The Wet Reckless Program is meant for those persons who are convicted of reckless driving and have some measurable amount of alcohol in their system.
If you are convicted of a first-time offense, you will undertake a First Offender Program, which is for a duration of three months or nine months, depending on the blood alcohol concentration level that you had in your system at the time of the arrest.
The 18-month program is specifically designed for persons with second and repeat offenses on their record, and includes at least 12 hours of drug and alcohol education, 52 hours of group counseling, community reentry monitoring, and individual interviews on a biweekly basis. The 30-month programs are for those who have three or more DUI convictions on their records, and include drug education and counseling, community service, and individual interviews with offenders.
If you have been arrested for DUI, speak to a Los Angeles DUI lawyer about your options for defense.