Allen Circuit Court’s Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Court has become the first of its kind in the state to receive full certification.
The court program, located in Fort Wayne, was given provisional certification by the Indiana Supreme Court in July 2020, allowing it to accept participants charged with drunken driving as a felony, The Journal Gazette reported.
The problem-solving court later received a conditional certification in March from the Indiana Office of Court Services so it could continue services until it received a final on-site review this past week.
Participants entering the OVWI court are supervised by the Allen County Probation Department and other partnering local agencies. Problem-solving courts provide participants with various services — including medication-assisted treatment, substance-use disorder treatment, safe and sober housing and cognitive-behavioral therapy programs — in hopes of lessening charges for those who are successful, according to the court.
The court has so far had 107 participants.
Participants who are successful with the 30-month program can have their felony charges reduced to misdemeanor charges or dismissed entirely.