This powerful program was created to give victims a different way to work through the recovery/grieving process. It also gives DUI offenders the opportunity to see the outcomes, tragedies, and other negative effects of DUI crashes. At each 1-1/2 hour session, 2 victims sit on a panel in front of the offenders and simply tell their story of how a DUI crash changed their life forever. Each victim speaks for approximately twenty minutes, and never blames or preaches to the offenders. In addition, a video is shown of a young woman who is now in a vegetative state resulting from drunk driver hitting her while she was walking to her car. At the end, the offenders are asked to fill out a questionnaire about the panel; how they feel afterwards, if they think they would never drink and drive again, how fair they feel sentencing is for offenders, etc. We collect their fee/paperwork and provide a certificate verifying attendance. After the offenders have left, there is a "cool down" in which the staff of the DUI Victim Center and the victims who spoke at that panel review the responses of the questionnaires. This is also the time when a victim can talk out any emotional feelings that resurfaced during the evening. DUI Victim Panels Statewide In 1983, District Court Judge David S. Admire and a citizen, Shirley Anderson, started the first DUI Victim Panel in Redmond, Virginia. Judge Admire believed that the DUI offenders coming before him did not realize the seriousness of the possible consequences of drunk driving. Shirley Anderson knew the worst possible consequences, her sone having been killed by a drunk driver. Since that first DUI Victim Panel in 1983, this program has grown to be utilized by the courts in 44 states (1998). DUI Victim Panels in Kansas - Offered in Wichita since 1990; offered in Spanish since 1995
- Court ordered by 7 Judicial Districts
- Requests from other districts being reviewed
- Associated with 55.75 overall decrease in DUI re-arrest
- Since 2000, over 18,000 court ordered offenders have attended panels presented by the DUI Victim Center of Kansas
Statements from DUI offenders after attending a panel presentation: "I loved your presentation. I thought it was great! There needs to be more speakers like you to let the public know about the consequences of drunk driving. God bless you and your families."
-- Male/27 - 2nd Conviction "I will walk away with a totally different attitude about drinking and driving."
-- Male/29 - 3rd Conviction "I have drunk and drove many times and this is my wake-up call. I am very sorry for all that has happened. I have learned a lot. Thank you."
-- Female/26 - 1st Conviction "I knew it was possible to hurt myself or others by drunk driving, but after actually hearing and seeing people who have been affected by drunk drivers, it set in a lot more."
-- Female/22 - 1st Conviction | 
