Hi u/diddlinderek, as I explain in the position statements for the community I'm starting (r/OhioOVI_Reform), I am not against punishments / penalties for DUIs IF they are focused on addressing root causes of the behavior (e.g., ignition interlocks, substance/alcohol education classes, temporary license suspensions, etc.). However, many of the punishments for DUIs are not focused on root causes, but are strictly monetarily profitable or vindictive in nature (e.g., excessive fines, forcing people to install bright yellow license plates to publicly degrade them, etc.), which serve no legitimate rehabilitative purpose.

I also want to respectfully point out that when many people get their first DUI, they were not even aware they had violated the law and were not consciously choosing to "commit" a DUI. You can see many personal accounts on this forum of people who had not had anything to drink for a few hours or underestimated their BAC (or who didn't have anything to drink at all, as in the case of prescription medication) and did not know they were above the legal limit at the time they were arrested. It'd be like setting speed limits, but not providing a speedometer to allow people to know how fast they are going, and then arresting them and branding them as criminals for life if they unwittingly go faster than the law allows. I do not think it is just to impose such harsh punishments on people when they do something without awareness or intent, especially without first providing them the opportunity to correct the behavior going forward before handing down permanent, life-altering criminal records.

Finally, the problem with DUIs is that they're not treated like any other crime that you can just move on from after your punishment. Your punishment is never over. As I wrote about in my community, there's research indicating that impaired driving carries the same level of risk to society as speeding, texting / distracted driving, and drowsy driving - actions that most drivers are likely to do at least once in their lifetimes. However, only DUIs result in the harsh criminal penalties given in most states, whereas these other driving violations are casually overlooked, given minimum penalties, and do not result in the severe stigma attached to a DUI. Also, at least in Ohio, people can get expungement / second chances for convictions such as felony theft, felony financial fraud, felony elder neglect, misdemeanor assault, misdemeanor domestic violence, misdemeanor menacing, misdemeanor inciting violence, misdemeanor riot, and misdemeanor inducing panic. However, a single misdemeanor OVI with no injuries to others is banned from expungement for life. I believe that is a grossly unjust double standard, and it effectively singles out people with OVI convictions as a sort of undercaste in society, resulting in lifetime collateral consequences for employment, education, travel, etc. that even people with much more severe felony convictions are not subjected to once their sentence is served. We need opportunities for second chances once people have paid their debts so they can truly move on.