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Alternative Sentencing reports high testing volumes, DUI kiosk pilot and monitoring costs
Summary
Chief Probation Officer Yvette Doan briefed commissioners on alternative sentencing operations: drug and alcohol testing volumes, growth in DUI diversion participants, a breathalyzer kiosk pilot and monitoring equipment costs and vendor changes.
Yvette Doan, chief probation officer, updated the board on Alternative Sentencing operations, focusing on drug and alcohol testing, supervision modalities and monitoring costs tied to FY2026 planning.
Doan said the office supervises roughly 460 people and conducts thousands of assays annually; the number reported in the calendar year included multiple assays per specimen (total assay count cited as large, while specimen counts were in the several‑thousand range). She described how testing is tailored to individuals—not every test screens for every substance—and noted the office seeks to balance program fidelity with budget constraints. The office runs home visits, office visits and operates a small in‑house lab maintained by a long‑tenured specialist.
Doan described a Washoe County‑backed breathalyzer kiosk in the justice center lobby that serves DUI diversion participants. That kiosk (a grant‑funded device through the Office of Traffic Safety via Washoe County) reduces staff time and small‑scale overtime by allowing some DUI defendants to test without supervised specimen collection. She said the office had about 104 kiosk tests reported in one period and 248 in another shorter span, and the program has expanded participation since January.
Doan also discussed continuous alcohol monitoring and GPS monitoring equipment. One vendor raised pricing, and the office negotiated terms with an alternate vendor to contain costs. The office charges defendants daily monitoring fees ($15‑17 per day, depending on device) and a one‑time drug testing enrollment fee; indigent defendants can receive reduced or waived fees under county practice.
Doan requested the board note the department’s FY2026 budget includes testing costs and that an existing grant helps offset DUI‑diversion supervision; she asked staff to monitor the bid for the lab/testing contract (the current multi‑year vendor agreement expires June 30) and return detailed quotes. County management praised the department’s outcomes and reliance on tailored testing to protect limited program dollars.
