Wisconsin Courts Are Pioneering the Use of Automated Alcohol Screening

Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies announced today that the Sheriff’s Offices of Lafayette and Waupaca Counties in Wisconsin have begun using Automated Breathalyzer Kiosks (AB Kiosks) to conduct court-mandated alcohol screening. They join the Wisconsin counties of Iowa, Racine, Door, Portage, and St. Croix in pioneering this new technology, which since January 1, 2018, has autonomously conducted more than 50,000 tests with an alcohol-free compliance rate of 99.5%.

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Eight AB Kiosks now provide autonomous alcohol monitoring throughout the state of Wisconsin (Photo: Business Wire).

The Time-Intensive Process for Two Decades

On any given day, Sheriff’s deputies and jail administrators in Wisconsin screen thousands of people for alcohol by following a labor-intensive process of coordinating, conducting, and logging Preliminary Breath Tests (PBTs). Sheriff deputies first assign offenders to testing groups based on number of days a week and the number of times a day they are to be tested. Offenders are then instructed to call in each day to learn the time they will appear for screening. Throughout the day, deputies then meet offenders in the lobby of the jail or courthouse, escort them through security, and conduct the screenings. If the individual passes the test, he or she is cleared. However, if the presence of alcohol is indicated by a PBT, the offender will be retested using more sensitive equipment to confirm the preliminary reading. As one would guess, this process takes a lot of time.

New Automation Handles Everything

In Wisconsin, the Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk is increasingly handling the entire alcohol screening process:

• Establishes and coordinates randomized test scheduling for each group in a county
• Notifies individuals when to appear for alcohol screening
• Uses biometric fingerprint authentication to verify the identity of the individual
• Captures video as it administers each breathalyzer test
• Immediately alerts deputies or jailers in the event of a failed test
• Generates reports for the Sheriff’s office or jail administrator.

Operating without any direct supervision, the Kiosk can test up to 40 individuals per hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“The AB Kiosk increases the safety of Wisconsin communities by ensuring that offenders complete the terms of their work release or probation programs,” said Patrick McKinney, general manager of Precision Kiosk Technologies. “In addition, the Kiosk coordinates and conducts all the alcohol screening for the County thereby freeing up deputies for higher-value work.”

About Precision Kiosk Technologies

Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies (PKT) leads the electronic monitoring industry in providing high-volume autonomous breathalyzer testing to law enforcement and courts. The company’s Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk (AB Kiosk) reduces the administrative burden of alcohol screening and other court-mandated offender programs, including probation check-in, Huber work release, and pre- and post-trial services. In addition, PKT designs automated testing kiosks for airports and mass transit facilities, and stadiums and arenas. To learn more about the AB Kiosk system and view a video of the testing process, please visit www.abkiosk.com.

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