FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : Wednesday, June 20, 2012
CONTACT: Sara Rabern, (605) 773-3215
Attorney General Marty Jackley Announces the Addition of the Ignition Interlock Device to the South Dakota 24/7 Program
PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today that the 6 month pilot program for the ignition interlock device has concluded and has proven successful and will now be offered as part of the statewide 24/7 Sobriety Program.
“The 24/7 Sobriety Program has proven to be an effective means to combat drunk driving in South Dakota,” said Jackley. “This offender pay program takes the burden off taxpayers by keeping qualifying offenders out of jail yet holding them accountable for their actions. This in turn can have a long term positive impact on their lives, their families and their employers.”
Ignition interlock is a device installed in a motor vehicle. Before the vehicle's motor can be started, the offender first must exhale into the device and produce a clean test. This particular system is set up with a camera designed to detect if someone other than the offender is testing. The offender is required to test twice a day, whether they drive their vehicle or not. The system is also equipped with a GPS that will pinpoint the offender’s location on a map for each test. There is an additional feature on this device that requires a retest within the first few minutes after the vehicle is moving and then additional retests at random intervals as long as the vehicle remains in motion.
The ignition interlock pilot program, which was conducted in Lincoln County concluded with 10 offenders testing the device. The South Dakota Sheriff’s Association and the Attorney General’s 24/7 Committee reviewed the pilot program results and recommended that the device be added to the monitoring devices used in the statewide program.
It is anticipated that the ignition interlock device will be operational and available by the fall of 2012 to allow for training for state’s attorneys and judges statewide this summer.
The ignition interlock, as all the other 24/7 testing methods, are defender pay.
Ignition Interlock
Average daily cost for six month time frame $5.03
SCRAM Bracelet
(Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor) ankle bracelets that continuously monitor wearers for alcohol consumption
Average daily cost for six month time frame $6.44
Preliminary Breath Test
Twice a day breath test $2.00 ($3.00 a day first 30 days)
Drug Urinalysis
Per test $10.00
Per Week $20.00
Drug Patch
Per patch $40.00
Per day $4.00
In 2005, then-Attorney General Larry Long implemented his idea of the 24/7 Sobriety Program as a pilot project in three counties in South Dakota, and in 2007 the state legislature unanimously approved the formal creation of the program. Currently 67 agencies participate in the program, including police departments, sheriff's offices, and the Unified Judicial System.
The ignition interlock device will complement the other testing options which include the preliminary breath test (PBT), SCRAM alcohol monitoring bracelet, drug urinalysis and the drug patch. Here are the most current program statistics:
Preliminary Breath Test (PBT)
February 2005-May 1 2012
• 21,922 participants
• 4.8 million tests administered
Urinalysis
July 1-May 1, 2012
• 2,404 participant
• 60,062 tests administered
Drug Patch
July 1, 2007- May 1, 2012
• 119 participants
• 1,348 tests administered
SCRAM Bracelet
November 15, 2006- May 1, 2012
• 4,162 participants
• 604,488 total days monitored
Those appointed to the Attorney General’s 24/7 Committee are Clay County Sheriff Andy Howe, Jackson County Sheriff Ray Clements, Lincoln County Sheriff Dennis Johnson, Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom, Minnehaha County States Attorney Aaron McGowan, Circuit Court Judge Larry Long and 24/7 Sobriety Coordinator Art Mabry.
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