As mentioned earlier, I have been arrested multiple times, and every time I was arrested, alcohol was involved. I have also been incarcerated as a result of many of those arrests. The chances are that if you have been to jail, you have likely sat longer than I have, as the longest I have sat at one time was ten days. If you have not been to jail, I can assure you that it is something you would like to avoid, and sitting in jail for even one day can be extremely anxiety-provoking.
Because Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) tickets are the most common alcohol-related crime in the U.S and because that is what I am most familiar with in terms of the reasons for my incarcerations, we will go a little more in-depth concerning the potential consequences of the crime. Depending on the state, the consequences will vary, but since I have had experience in both Michigan and Wisconsin, we will use these two states as examples. In Wisconsin, you don’t typically face jail time for your first OWI, but you face anywhere from five days to six months for your second offense and forty-five days to one year for your third offense. After three, you are typically looking at a felony charge, which means prison time.
In Michigan, you face up to 180 days in jail for your first offense, five days to one year for your second offense, and one to five years for your third offense. Like Wisconsin, any more than three is generally prison time. You can see that these crimes are taken quite seriously, and that is the case no matter what state you live in. Some states might be more lenient than others in terms of jail time sentenced, but as I said earlier, even one day in jail can be extremely anxiety-provoking and should be avoided.
Although I have no personal experience with violent crimes, they are also of concern in the United States when alcohol is involved. Here are some staggering statistics to consider: 86% of homicides are committed by individuals under the influence of alcohol, 40 % of child abuse incidents are connected with alcohol use or abuse, 37% of rapes and sexual assaults involve offenders under the influence of alcohol, 27% of aggravated assaults are carried out by individuals under the influence of alcohol, 15 % of robberies are conducted by individuals under the influence, and 65% of intimate partner violence incidence involve individuals who have been drinking .
I am not a lawyer, so I cannot say whether or not each of the crimes mentioned involves potential jail time or not, but I do not want to find out and would encourage you to avoid finding out as well. By staying sober, today you can significantly avoid the potential of jail time!
(Photo by Emiliano Bar)