LawCriminal LawCriminologyCrimeInternational Criminal LawPenologyAdministrative SanctionsCriminal PenaltiesPunishment TheorySanctions LawSanctions RegimesAdministrative License RevocationCrime DeterrenceDeterrenceGeneral DeterrencePenal SanctionsSanctions
The question of whether DWI sanctions work is addressed in terms of four functions of criminal punishment: retribution, reform, incapacitation, and general deterrence. A review of the relevant literature leads to the conclusion that the question cannot be answered for retribution, because of the peculiar and debatable status of the crime. For reform, the answer is generally no; for incapacitation, yes, especially when the sanctions take the form of administrative license revocation; and for general deterrence, yes, espcially to the degree that the sanctions are perceived as likely to be swift and certain.