Risk Assessment of impaired driving offenders in Canada: A focus group study on knowledge and practices

Background: The risk assessment of impaired drivers in Canada varies across the criminal justice and the administrative driver licensing systems. The justice system is based upon Federal laws and is uniform across Canada, although jurisdictional practices vary somewhat. Conversely, driver licensing is the mandate of provincial governments, and remedial programs, education/treatment services and re-licensing practices for impaired drivers are diverse. Purpose/Objective: To explore current knowledge and practices relating to the risk assessment of impaired driving offenders in Canada. Methods: Five focus groups were conducted across Canada to gather information from remedial program and licensing staff, treatment professionals, and justice professionals that manage impaired drivers and/or are involved in risk assessments. Preliminary Results: The level of knowledge and understanding of the scientific literature on the risk assessment of impaired drivers varies across jurisdictions and practitioners in the justice and driver licensing systems in Canada. This can stem from different practices related to staff qualifications and training, the level of educational opportunities, available resources, and management structures. Other factors include close partnerships with research staff and level of communication across agencies. Barriers include inconsistent professional development activities and staff supervision/support, limited resources per offender, the quality of available instruments, staff turnover and the inability of agencies to follow up with or ensure compliance among offenders. Conclusion: Risk assessment practices for impaired drivers are diverse across Canada. Efforts are needed to leverage existing strengths and address critical gaps. New avenues of research are also highlighted.