The DUI & DWAI Education and Therapy programs at Excel Treatment most certainly kept me out of jail! I started the Education classes before I even made my first appearance in court. It about a week after I was arrested for driving with a .17 blood alcohol level (BAC). It was well above the legal limit. By the time I was sentenced, about four months after the arrest, I had already finished the Education portion of the program and had begun the Therapy. I had also enrolled in random sobriety tests.
The Judge and prosecution saw that I was making a concerted effort to avoid ever making same senseless mistake again, and gave me a much lighter sentence than even my attorney expected (NO JAIL).
As for the meetings, I actually enjoyed the majority of them. They were laid-back and I never felt threatened or degraded because of my actions. They were both educational and therapeutic, but not in the traditional sense. I felt that after truly understanding how alcohol and other drugs effect ones judgment (not only while driving), I felt much more empowered.
If you are unfortunate enough to have to go through this process. I strongly recommend the DUI & DWAI program offered at Excel Treatment.