This report reviews the existing literature on DWI screening procedures and instruments for evaluating drunk-driving offenders and provides an inventory of procedures and instruments that state court systems report they are currently using. This review attempts to identify studies that examine whether screening procedures in and of themselves are effective interventions in deterring future drunk-driving behaviour. The report’s audience includes DWI researchers and practitioners as well as readers from administrative, legal, and other fields. This report also provides an in-depth evaluation of DWI screening instruments and defines the extent of the field’s knowledge about their efficacy and practical considerations for their use. The current empirical literature on self-report DWI screening questionnaires is reviewed, including psychometric research supporting the questionnaires’ validity and reliability and predictive validity for correctly identifying offenders at risk for adverse outcomes. In addition, this report calls for a critical discussion about the DWI screening process. It also explains why research is urgently needed to assess the predictive validity of certain screening instruments in widespread use. A review of the published literature reveals there is too little rigorous research on screening for drunk-driving offenders. This is particularly problematic considering that large numbers of people are arrested for this crime each year. Extensive literature searches found no published studies that specifically address the issue of the screening process as an intervention in itself. The authors reviewed 15 articles that investigate the efficacy of the following self-report instruments for DWI screening: Alcohol Severity Index, Alcohol Use Inventory, CAGE, Drivers Risk Inventory, Mortimer Filkins, Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test, Minnesota Assessment of Chemical Health, RIA Self-Inventory Screening Instrument, Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory, and the MacAndrew scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. The most commonly used assessments include the Mortimer Filkins, Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test, and Drivers Risk Inventory. The primary criterion used was how well the instrument predicts DWI recidivism or determines alcohol-use disorders. The authors also reviewed and summarised evidence concerning four secondary criteria: 1) ease of administration and cost; 2) testing domains; 3) appropriateness for DWI screening; and 4) recommendations for treatment and profile reporting. (Author/publisher)
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