Study shows 24/7 program successful
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said a new report is further evidence that South Dakota’s 24/7 Sobriety Program is working.
The program was started in 2005, giving people convicted of alcohol-related crimes a chance to stay out of jail as long as they stay sober. They’re monitored twice daily for alcohol use.
Jackley said results from a Mountain Plains Evaluation study show that less than 1 percent of about 1 million test results were recorded as either “failed” or a “no show.”
Another recent independent study concluded that the sobriety program has reduced repeat cases of driving under the influence by 12 percent and domestic violence rates by 9 percent.
The program has expanded to include alcohol-monitoring bracelets and interlock devices installed on vehicle ignition systems.
In the first seven years of the program, more than 23,000 South Dakotans have participated in the program. Almost 5,000 people have participated in the Alcohol Monitoring Systems ankle bracelet program with 77 percent of participants fully compliant.
