Victims Impact Panel of Oklahoma, Inc. (VIP), was founded on October 1, 1989. It is Oklahoma’s original victim impact panel and has been court-recognized for over 30 years. In order to legitimize VIP, legislation was passed in 1990, which allowed Oklahoma judges to order DUI offenders to attend a victim impact panel in which they would hear the testimonies of those who have been directly affected by someone’s choice to drive impaired or distracted.
It is not intended to be a “punishment” but rather a “wake-up call” about the consequences of bad choices.
Shortly after VIP was started, the need for preventative programming became obvious. VIP began presenting programs in Oklahoma high schools and colleges because of the realization that young people are the most important audience to reach. The influence this program can have on young people at a time in their lives when they are still impressionable can have a significant effect on the incidence of impaired and distracted driving, thereby saving lives.
In 2018, an independent research analyst was provided information through the Oklahoma Supreme Court Network and found that in the major counties in Oklahoma where our VIP is offered, there was a success rate of over 90%. This means more than 90% percent of the offenders who attended our VIP have not been re-arrested for DUI.
This data shows continued growth and success over the last 30 years in improving the recidivism rates among those who have attended our VIP program.
