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The Impaired Driver Puzzle: Pitfalls, Profiles & Proven Practices
SESSION INFO
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Session Type: Workshop
This presentation takes a national, data-informed look at impaired driving and offers a shared approach that supports both pretrial and probation decision-making. It explains why uniform responses don’t work: many people resolve after a first DWI, while a smaller group continues impaired driving despite repeated system contact, creating ongoing public-safety risk. The session shows how pretrial and probation teams—alongside judges and partners—can use the same framework to identify higher-risk individuals, set clearer expectations, and match supervision, monitoring, and treatment intensity to actual risk and need. It emphasizes using validated, DWI-specific screening and assessment to guide conditions, target referrals, and apply consistent response pathways when compliance slips. The goal is to strengthen front-end and supervision-stage practice in ways that improve compliance, reduce repeat impaired driving, and support safer community outcomes.
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SESSION PRESENTERS
Andrea Henderson
Probation and Parole Outreach Liaison for Region 6, American Probation and Parole Association
Andrea Henderson holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, earned in 1994, and retired in 2022 as a Supervisor from the Harris County CSCD in Houston. She brings extensive experience in substance abuse treatment within correctional facilities and in supervising clients on probation for DWI and sex-related offenses. With nearly a decade of experience collaborating with Harris County Criminal Courts and overseeing clients under Pretrial Bond supervision, Andrea has been a certified DWI Education Instructor for the State of Texas since 2006. She is deeply committed to educating DWI clients on the importance of applying classroom insights to prevent reoffending and save lives. In August 2024, Andrea joined as the Region 6 Probation Liaison, serving Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Native Nations in training and technical support for the Impaired Driving Assessment.
Gwyn Kaitis
Program Analyst, American Probation and Parole Association
Gwyn is a Program Analyst with the American Probation and Parole Association. She serves as grant manager for APPA’s grant projects with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) focused on the reduction of impaired driving. Her previous experience includes project management on federal and state grant funded programs including delivery of training and technical assistance; toolkit development; and policy analysis. She has created and provided training for various criminal legal system providers including courts, probation, victim advocates, and law enforcement.
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