Date of Conferral

10-26-2026

Date of Award

October 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Shana Maier

Abstract

Alcohol-impaired driving claims the lives of thousands of individuals every year. With high rates of recidivism, there have been numerous attempts to curb recidivism and reduce the number of impaired drivers on the roadway today. Implementing an ignition interlock is one effective method for reducing alcohol-impaired driving. Although previous researchers have looked into the recidivism rates of DWI offenders, this topic has not been explored by seeking to understand the experiences of DWI offenders on the ignition interlock program in St. Louis County, Minnesota. This qualitative study aimed to explore former DWI offenders' experiences with the ignition interlock program in St. Louis County, Minnesota. The theory that grounded this study included Ajzen's theory of planned behavior. The theory of planned behavior is a psychological theory that suggests that one's behavior is determined by one's intention to perform that behavior. This study included former DWI offenders in the ignition interlock program in St. Louis County, Minnesota. This study is significant because it fills a gap in understanding by focusing on former DWI offenders and their experiences with the ignition interlock program in St. Louis County, Minnesota. The results of this study identified perceptions of barriers to ignition interlock enrollment and participation, as well as identified program issues to aid in increasing enrollment in the ignition interlock program in St. Louis County, Minnesota. By addressing these perceptions of barriers to enrollment, social change can be achieved through decreased impaired-driving recidivism rates and improved ignition interlock program participation.

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