The Middlesex Driving Under the Influence of Liquor (DUIL) Program was founded in 1985 to provide an educational and counseling-based alternative to incarceration for those convicted of a second offense of Operating Under the Influence (OUI) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Since that time, it has served more than 42,000 clients, over 98% of whom have completed the program successfully. The DUIL Program is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Abuse Services.
The DUIL Program accepts clients via direct referral from the Massachusetts Trial Court, where convicted individuals may opt for the DUIL program in lieu of an extended jail sentence. DUIL also accepts clients between the ages of 18 and 21 convicted of a first offence under “Melanie's Law,” as well as occasional self-referrals and special referrals from the courts. DUIL maintains frequent communication with probation officers throughout the state.
With the use of evidence-based treatment practices and a commitment to cultural competency, DUIL offers clients a structured, didactic and motivational program which provides the education and support necessary for clients to achieve three primary objectives: 1) to engage in an honest self-assessment of their relationship with alcohol and/or other substances; 2) to develop individualized goals that are either abstinence-based or rooted in harm reduction; and 3) to understand and consider the impact of high-risk behaviors, such as OUI offenses, on public safety.
