(Nashville, TN) – Senator Rosalind Kurita (D-Clarksville) today discussed legislation she is sponsoring that would make emergency room visits a part of the sentencing equation for juveniles who are first-time DUI or first-time possession of alcohol offenders.
“Spending time in the Emergency Room offers an opportunity for a young person to see the real life results of their actions when they drive drunk,” Sen. Kurita said. “You can see the tears and hear the sounds of the pain of another human being. The ER is a much better teacher than a lecture or a film. Our young people can grow and mature from the real life situations that can be seen in the Emergency Rooms of our hospitals. More than anything else, this is a lasting lesson.”
The DUI-ER option is an innovative program developed by Sen. Kurita based on her experience as a nurse. Montgomery County Juvenile Court Judge Jack Hestle has shepherded the program for six years through his courtroom. Gateway hospital has allowed its nurses and staff to help make the program a reality.
Senate Bill 5, which Sen. Kurita is sponsoring, would give judges the option of requiring a first time juvenile DUI or alcohol possession offender to spend a portion of their community service time in the emergency room of a hospital. The program is strictly voluntary and requires the hospital’s consent. There is no monetary cost to the program as the nurses in participating ERs provide the staff support for the program.
Sen. Kurita pointed out that the program is an example of a fiscally responsible approach to addressing juvenile crime.
“So many times we see efforts to combat crime fail in the legislature because of the fiscal impact,” Sen. Kurita said. “This bill is a fiscally responsible approach to a very real problem. The DUI-ER program is quite simply a good idea that works. I want to give judges across the state the option of using this program in their communities.”