Presenter outlines Clearwater County DWI Court program, reports participant outcomes

Kari Wittenberg presented an overview of the Clearwater County DWI Court program at the Clearwater County Board of Commissioners meeting on Aug. 18, 2026. She told the board the program is open only to Clearwater County residents, lasts a minimum of 18 months followed by a six-month probation term, and uses a five-phase structure that reduces the frequency of required tests as participants advance.

Wittenberg said the program team includes a judge, the county attorney, a treatment provider, a coordinator, defense counsel, mental-health services, probation, law enforcement and social services. She reported a program census as of Aug. 7, 2026: 15 participants have joined the program, 5 have graduated, 4 were terminated, 1 transferred to another county’s program, and 5 were active. Five-year outcome statistics cited by Wittenberg included participants who were 67% male and 67% aged 35–44; 96.1% of tests were negative for alcohol and drugs; 67% of those who entered without income gained employment; 63% maintained stable housing from entry to exit (25% who entered without stable housing obtained it by graduation); 100% gained and maintained health insurance by graduation; and 75% obtained valid driver’s licenses while in the program.

The presentation framed the DWI Court as a collaborative, multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional effort to address impaired driving and improve community health and safety. The board heard the report during the meeting’s presentations; no vote or policy change was recorded on the program itself during this session.