LANSING, MI — To start their vehicles, some Michigan residents with multiple drinking and driving convictions blow into a handheld breathalyzer test wired into their ignitions. Periodically while driving, they hear an alert. It’s time to blow again. Each time, a photo is taken and stored with the blood-alcohol data in a tamper-proof computer chip that is later uploaded and reviewed by court officials.
This is the Michigan alcohol interlock system judges, legislators and at least one program participant say they’d like to see expanded throughout the state. Judges in 2011 began ordering the devices installed in the vehicles of those convicted of two drinking-and-driving offenses within seven years, or three drinking-and-driving offenses in 10 years.
A study that analyzed the recidivism and compliance of program participants versus those punished traditionally with license revocation between 2011 and 2014 was released Thursday at the Michigan Supreme Court in Lansing. It found those in alcohol interlock programs were three times less likely to commit another alcohol-related driving offense within three years of their initial conviction compared to others not in the program.
Rather than clogging criminal courts with crimes stemming from diagnosable disorders, such as alcoholism or mental illness, judges in treatment courts can provide specialized monitoring and treatment that is “saving lives” and “helping families,” said Cass County Probate Judge Susan Dobrich, president of the Michigan Association of Treatment Court Professionals, the organization that commissioned the study.
Because the money and manpower to create treatment courts statewide doesn’t currently exist, regional treatment courts, like the one operated by Taylor’s 23rd District Judge Geno Salomone, are increasing in popularity.
Local judges have the option of referring residents convicted of drinking-and-driving crimes to participating regional courts. Salomone presides over one in Taylor. Salomone estimated it costs about $241,000 per year for him to operate a regional treatment court with seven participating cities; whereas it would cost over $600,000 for each of those cities to operate independently.