MADD chapters or other victim groups select a panel of three or four victims to speak briefly about drunk driving crashes in which they were injured or in which a loved one was killed. Victims do not blame or judge those who attend the panel; rather, they simply tell their stories and how their lives and families have been affected by drunk driving. A victim impact panel coordinator moderates the discussion, and victims never speak to groups in which their own offender is present. There is no interaction between victims and offenders during the panel presentation, but question and answer periods may follow. Judges and probation officers may require convicted drunk driving offenders to attend a victim impact panel as an element of their sentences. The idea of victim impact panels is that victim stories are told in person from the heart, in neither a blaming nor accusatory way, so that they can enable offenders to consider the pain and suffering drunk driving can cause to other people. The stories can also help offenders move beyond being "stuck" in focusing on their own bad luck and serve as a first step in breaking down the denial of alcoholics and those addicted to other drugs. In addition, the panels benefit victims by enabling them to express their experiences and feelings. Statements of judges who have implemented the victim impact panel program are included, and procedures to help establish and evaluate a victim impact panel program are detailed.