Programs
Overview
Victims of drunk driving crashes as well as families of victims receive emotional support and informal legal guidance when they call. AAIM advocates accompany victims to court, track case dispositions and help insure that justice is done. Free assistance is also given in preparing victim impact statements. Using the proceeds from the annual fundraising benefit, AAIM has donated well over $500,000 in twenty years to DUI victims who have suffered severe injuries, as well as financial hardships.
Drunkbusters
To encourage drivers with cellular phones to report erratic driving to police, AAIM initiated the "Drunkbusters" program in 1990. AAIM gives $100 to tipsters whose calls lead to DUI arrests. More than $418,000 has been paid to over 4,181 tipsters. This life-saving program has been recognized with first place awards from the National Safety Council, Ameritech and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.
Speakers Bureau
AAIM speakers are well received at schools and before civic groups. AAIM presents pre-Prom prevention programs to over 50 area high schools every Spring and at Homecoming Season in the Fall. A Parents' Program has been developed to help parents navigate through the teen years. To help educate parents about the dangers of young people drinking and the effects it may have on teen brain development. AAIM recognizes our ever changing world of technology and the dangers that are imposed while driving. Our New 3D program (Dangerous Driving Decisions) focuses on choices. Research shows distracted driving may impair your judgment as much as drunken or drugged driving.
3D Pledge:
Dangerous:
I pledge not to drive DANGEROUSLY.
Driving:
I pledge not to text and DRIVE.
Decisions:
I DECIDE not to drink and drive.
Public Awareness Campaigns
Since 1982, tremendous progress has been made in passing tougher anti-DUI legislation and AAIM has been in the forefront, advocating legal reform. A vigorous education and public awareness effort is necessary to insure that progress continues. AAIM produces public service announcements featured on radio and TV and educational programs filmed on video.
Educational Programs
In the past thirteen years, Director of Educational Programs, Phil Rog, has made a push in schools and at community events to highlight the problem of teen drinking. Using the vision-impaired goggles, Phil demonstrates to people of all ages the difficulty people have doing everyday tasks when they have their vision impaired.
Phil has people try things like walking a straight line, hand dexterity tests and shooting a basketball. The people both trying the test and observing are left wondering what went wrong. In the past ten years, over 6,000 people have tried the Fatal Vision Goggles, and over 1,000,000 were at events that Phil covered.
Phil continues to present programs throughout Illinois to youth and various community groups. Phil is dedicated to fighting impaired driving and helping to prevent risky behaviors among teens.
The Illinois Drug Education Alliance (IDEA) awarded Phil the "Illinois Outstanding Alcohol Awareness/Education Award" for his work with Illinois youth. Phil is a retired teacher from Elk Grove Village schools.
Speaking On A Panel
Being a speaker on a Victim Impact Panel (VIP) can have a very positive effect for a victim. It becomes a tool for moving through the overwhelming emotional pain that accompanies the tragic loss of a loved one due to an impaired driver. It may also help promote personal healing. While AAIM does encourage this practice, the decision to speak on an AAIM Victim Impact Panel (VIP) is a very personal one and can only be determined by the victim. Victims interested in being a speaker are invited to observe a panel as a guest, before actually giving a speech. Victim Services personnel will assist in the preparation of a speech, as necessary. AAIM Victim Impact Panels (VIP's) are presented to DUI offenders in the courts, to schools, to community groups and to law enforcement.
AAIM also presents DUI Victim Impact Panels in Illinois and now in Indiana, where victims and offenders tell their stories to DUI offenders in order to prevent recidivism. This is a mandatory part of an offender's sentencing
Court Monitoring Program
While Illinois has some of the toughest laws in the nation, we are finding inconsistencies from courthouse to courthouse in regards to interpreting the laws. AAIM often receives communications from law enforcement regarding inappropriate sentencing or demeanor by judges and prosecutors.
In order to monitor this situation, a program was developed through a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation to train volunteers and track the DUI case dispositions. Volunteers observe the court proceedings and the professionalism of judges, officers of the court and civil employees. AAIM wants to insure that court personnel treat all citizens – victims, witnesses and defendants fairly and with dignity. The presence of a court watcher in the courtroom sends a clear message to judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and court staff that the public cares about what happens and the courts are being held accountable.
A study by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) examined more than 9,000 drunk driving cases in Maine. Monitored cases resulted in more convictions, fewer dismissals, and longer jail sentences.
Court watching is instrumental in seeing how new laws are being enforced and how effective these new deterrents are going to be. The Court Monitors help hold judges and prosecutors accountable for their actions. When court watchers are present there is a different attitude in the courtroom. Law enforcement officers are grateful that citizens really care and support their job. Those dedicated people who volunteer their time to court watch do make a difference.
DUI Enforcement Training
AAIM has had advocates in the court system since its inception in 1982. For the past three years, we have had court watchers in the courts around the Chicago land area. These staff members and volunteers must be training on the latest laws and technological developments used in deterring drunk driving. Our court watch program is underwritten by a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).
Elizabeth Earleywine, Illinois Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor, and IDOT grant monitor, spent the day at AAIM training our dedicated staff and volunteers. Officer Joe Simpson of the Chicago Police Department and two Schaumburg Police Officers joined Elizabeth to demonstrate field testing devices. Keeping up-to-date with current laws and technology is important for our advocates and court watchers in the work they do.
Candlelight Vigil
A candlelight ceremony for the victims of drunk driving crashes was held on December 15, 2009 at the City Council Chambers in Chicago and co-hosted by AAIM.
Merit School of Music performed and remarks were made by Mayor Richard Daley, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Jody Weiss, Cook Co. State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
Lorraine Wesolowski, AAIM victim advocate, told the story about her daughter, Candace, who was killed by two drunk drivers.
Grief Group
The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists invites anyone who has experienced loss or injury due to a drunk driver to attend our self-help group. The group meets in the fireside room of Christ Church of Oak Brook, at 7:30 PM on the forth Tuesday of every month. For more information contact Twyla Blakely at 630 941-8704.
The purpose of our meetings is to help victims of drunk driving crashes recover emotionally, spiritually, physically and mentally from their loss.
We cannot change what happened, but we want to learn how to live, love, laugh and have peace in our lives again. Our primary purpose is to live a peaceful life remembering the happy times. We do not want to forget the crash, but we don't want to dwell on the pain. We hope to bond with the other victims who understand our pain.
In these meetings we avoid cross talk, giving advice and private conversations. We share our experiences, strengths and hope to help others and ourselves.
Grief group topics change from month to month. Some of the topics we have covered are, Surviving the holidays, how our grieving has affected our loved ones, Journaling, Coping skills, dealing with our anger, and how do we keep memories of our loved ones alive.
We are not professional counselors, nor do we claim to be. We are a self-help group and we only share our stories with one another.<
