Enhancement of Cumberland County, NC Sobriety Court

Pretrial monitoring targets the most high-risk drunk drivers that present in the following three categories:

(1) More than one pending DWI charge.

(2) A prior DWI conviction within the last three years and a new pending DWI charge.

(3) Two prior DWI convictions ever and a new pending DWI charge.

Pretrial defendants are required to submit to CAM (Continuous Alcohol Monitoring), curfew hours and a court appearance every.

Cumberland County has one of the highest per capita arrest rates of DWI charges in the state for DWI charges in the state. Many of these drivers are repeat offenders and present a high risk to our citizens. To target and reduce this population, the Cumberland County Sobriety Court was created to both monitor dangerous pretrial defendants and to focus supervision and treatment for convicted repeat offenders.

Pretrial defendants are required to submit to CAM (Continuous Alcohol Monitoring), curfew hours and a court appearance every two weeks. The goal of the pretrial monitoring component of Sobriety Court is to stop high-risk drunk driving and protect the community.

Treatment offenders have been sentenced to a Level 1A, Level 1, or a Level 2 DWI punishment and are not compliant with probation conditions. These offenders are referred to Sobriety Court for intensive supervision and treatment protocol as an alternative to incarceration. The treatment court programs last a minimum of 12 months and includes random drug and alcohol testing, GPS monitoring for curfew purposes, mandatory treatment sessions, 12-step meetings, and a court appearance every two weeks. The goal of the treatment court component of Sobriety Court is to break the cycle of recidivism.

Sobriety Court operates on a team model. The team includes members from the NC Highway Patrol, Cumberland County Sheriff's Department, Fayetteville Police Department, Fort Bragg Military Police, Department of Public Safety, Cumberland County Offices of the District Attorney, Public Defender, and Magistrates as well as treatment providers. The team members meet with the assigned presiding judge prior to each court session to discuss each participant's status. Court sessions are held every two weeks.