In 2011, York County, PA Court of Common Pleas Judge John S. Kennedy identified some startling trends in the county:

25% of all cases on the docket were DUIs
Of those, 25% were for repeat DUI offenses
25% of DUI offenders were re-arrested for a subsequent DUI before their case was adjudicated

Judge Kennedy began working with officials throughout the county, and cooperatively they implemented the country’s first Target 25 program. This innovative, locally-driven program has turned the tide on repeat drunk driving in York County.

Case Study

Pennsylvania’s Target 25 Program Reducing Repeat DUIs by 90%

York County, PA’s Target 25 Program relies on technology and the collaborative efforts of the district attorney’s office, local law enforcement, judges, the county’s DUI Court, and probation/parole to curb repeat drunk driving.

On-Demand Webinars

Get Them Early, Get Them Sober: How One DUI Court Judge’s Pretrial Program Reduced Repeat Drunk Driving by 90% – April 2016

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PA’s Nationally Recognized DUI Reduction Initiative – May 2015

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The Target 25 Program Model

Under the leadership of Judge Kennedy, York County’s judges, the district attorney’s office, local law enforcement, probation/parole, and local SCRAM provider Vigilnet worked cooperatively to develop the Target 25 program, which fundamentally changed the way DUI cases are handled. 

Under Target 25, law enforcement officers run a records check during every drunk driving stop. Suspects with prior DUIs are immediately arrested and taken for a blood-alcohol test and a bail hearing before a district judge. In contrast to typical “catch and release” approaches or traditional bail requirements, Target 25 requires pretrial supervision and 24/7 Continuous Alcohol Monitoring for all repeat DUI offenders. 

The results:

Repeat offenders committing new DUIs in the same year dropped 90%
Alcohol-related crashes resulting in injury or death fell 21% in York County in 2013

To learn more, download this Target 25 Implementation Guide, developed in cooperation with York County officials.

Additional Resources