A group of South Carolina DUI offenders will come face-to-face with victims and family members of victims that were affected by their actions. The Charleston Police Department holds a DUI Victim's Impact Panel that meets monthly to help first-time DUI and repeat DUI offenders understand the consequences of their actions. These panels are mandatory events for DUI offenders and many states around the country hold them.

In Charleston, a room full of more than 30 DUI offenders hear stories about how DUI accidents have impacted their lives. One woman expressed, "I lost my daughter to a drunk driver in 2007" and how the accident ripped the woman's arm to the bone, scarring her physically for life. The individual responsible for the death of her daughter was convicted and had a blood alcohol content of .16 at the time of the crash, which is twice the legal limit in South Carolina. The individual is currently serving a 24-year sentence.

DUI offenders in Charleston, South Carolina, are required to hear the panel as part of their rehabilitation. Officers and victims hope that hearing the memories will encourage them not to make the same mistake again.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the latest statistics show that drunk drivers with a blood alcohol level at least .01 percent were involved in 462 fatal traffic accidents in South Carolina in 2008. These DUI offenders face fines, loss of driver's license, jail time, and/or community services.

Source: News 5 "DUI offenders hear victims tell their stories" 08/11/2010