Photo: jajanislaw.com
The 4th of July is coming and along with it DUI situations tend to increase and put the lives of innocent people in danger. However, the state of Tennessee has just adopted two new laws that will help curb the behavior of high-risk, repeat impaired offenders.
The first one is called Amelia’s Law and was named so after Maryville teenager Amelia Keown, who was killed in a head-on collision with a repeat drug and alcohol offender. To put it simple, the new law makes possible for any drug/alcohol offender to be monitored 24/7 with a transdermal monitoring device (ankle monitors and drug patches) and held accountable for any violation of mandatory sobriety.
Secondly, the DUI Recidivism Reduction Act focuses specifically on drunk drivers, giving the court power to sentence 2nd and 3rd time DUI offenders to substance abuse treatment after doing a mandatory period of time in jail.
And speaking of jails, the Tennessee ones are currently overcrowded, costing taxpayers around $900 million per year. The situation might be solved soon as drunk drivers are considered to by on the list of “nonviolent” offenders who are first to be released to ease overcrowding.
The new monitoring options combined with the mandatory treatment are aimed at keeping communities safe while also reducing the financial burdens of taxpayers.
Secondly, the DUI Recidivism Reduction Act focuses specifically on drunk drivers, giving the court power to sentence 2nd and 3rd time DUI offenders to substance abuse treatment after doing a mandatory period of time in jail.
And speaking of jails, the Tennessee ones are currently overcrowded, costing taxpayers around $900 million per year. The situation might be solved soon as drunk drivers are considered to by on the list of “nonviolent” offenders who are first to be released to ease overcrowding.
The new monitoring options combined with the mandatory treatment are aimed at keeping communities safe while also reducing the financial burdens of taxpayers.
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