Post Date October 10, 2012 –  Drinking problem?  Driving a car while under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI) for the second time?  Once convicted by a jury of your peers or making a plea deal; spending time incarcerated is pretty much a sure thing.  Good news if you live in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  Some may have a choice between going to jail or staying in a Hotel.  Western Pennsylvania’s largest county now offers an interesting alternative for drivers guilty of DUI/DWI.  The DUI Alternative Jail Program is being called by many as “DUI Hotel.” Although it’s true you would be spending time in a hotel after being convicted of a DUI/DWI – it’s not for a good time away from home.  Pennsylvania’s. alternative jail program will have you spending some time in a hotel so you can attending alcohol-education programs and treatment sessions.  Not all convicted of  a DUI are automatically for the “DUI Hotel program. Only those who can afford to pay the price of both the classes and the price of the stay in the hotel.

DUI Hotel now available for repeat Drunk Driving Offenders…………….Really?

Although political backers of the program are focusing on the reduced crowding of our Pennsylvania’s jails,  the program still allows more serious law offenders to take advantage of an easy way out. Detractors of the program say the alternative will only have repeat offenders sleeping in a comfortable bed and sipping hot coffee during class room time. The DUI Hotel program started in Allegheny County in 2010.  Last year, nearly 600 DUI offenders have gone through the innovative program.  So far this year, over 600 DUI Offenders will have ponied up the cost of the DUI Hotel as classroom time. The DUI Hotel Program is now only available to those DUI first-time offenders that have been sentenced to 72-hours jail time and are not eligible for the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD Program).  Further, the person may not have any type of  criminal record.

-Mike  

Michael E. Dortch
President &  Managing Agent
InsureDirect.com
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