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The Eighth Judicial District Court Felony DUI (FDUI) Program has been awarded $30,000 from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety for fiscal year 2020/2021. The money will go to reduce impaired driving, increase the success rate of program completion, and reduce DUI recidivism. The funds will assist the FDUI over one year to increase public safety and program retention rates.

“This Nevada Office of Traffic Safety funding is critical to preventing potential tragedies that can occur as a result of impaired driving,” said District Court Chief Judge Linda Marie Bell. “Treatment is the best tool to get those with multiple DUIs to change their behavior and prevent recidivism. Every DUI prevented is a potential tragedy averted. I believe this program saves lives and the funding is an important component for success.”

This is the second year that the FDUI court has been funded by the Office of Traffic Safety. In Fiscal year 2019/2020, the program was awarded an initial $30,000 to partially fund a court coordinator, and an additional $27,000 to assist with the costs of drug testing for participants financially affected by the pandemic. In the wake of business closures due to coronavirus in March, of 297 felony DUI participants, 97 had been laid off from their employment. In addition to the 30 percent who were laid off, others had a decrease in hours as a result of the closures. In April, the Office of Traffic Safety responded to the need for additional funding by awarding the FDUI program with an additional $27,000 to pay participant drug testing costs. Drug and alcohol testing is a mandatory part of the FDUI program and it is the responsibility of the client to make these payments at the time of testing. The Office of Traffic safety funding enabled the participants to stay on track with the program when no other funding was available.

The felony DUI program is one of the Eighth Judicial District specialty courts that solve issues through a rigorous and coordinated approach between judges, specialty court coordinators, prosecutors, defense attorneys, Parole and Probation, law enforcement and mental health/social service/treatment professionals. All work together to help participants recover, live crime-free and become productive citizens.

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