Date of Conferral

3-31-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Gregory Koehle

Abstract

The issue of driving under the influence (DUI) is a continuous problem in rural communities, especial those in Indian Country. Alcohol use and abuse has long been a health concern for these communities contributing to higher mortality rates and increased incarceration rates for American Indian / Alaskan Native (AIAN) populations. Wellness courts, using the problem-solving court model, have been successful in helping DUI offenders achieve sobriety and wellness. While the model has been successful, there remains a lack of qualitative research into why participants find success in these programs; especially marginalized populations such as AIAN. This phenomenological qualitative study was focused on Native American graduates of a joint-jurisdictional wellness court that had the purpose of achieving sobriety and wellness to determine what factors led to their success. The theoretical framework used in this study was Agnew’s general strain theory (1992) positing that lived strains can lead to criminal behavior. A total of eight graduates participated in a semistructured interview designed to elicit descriptions of their lived experiences before and during their involvement in the court and their perceptions of the program. Participants credited increased accountability along with structured programing to their success. Participants also identified life stressors such as abandonment by a family member or loved one, childhood trauma, historical trauma, loss of or failure to attain autonomy, and family members who abused substances as catalysts to their alcohol abuse. Participants held positive recollections of their time in the court program, which they attributed to judges, probation staff, and other team members expressing a genuine desire for them to be successful.

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