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District attorney outlines $1,500/month breath‑testing kiosk to monitor people on bond
Summary
The county district attorney described an ATM‑style breath‑testing kiosk the office is evaluating for people on bond, saying it costs $1,500 a month on a two‑year contract and could be eligible for opioid‑settlement funding; the committee requested a vendor demonstration and raised operational questions about who would administer required urine tests.
The Richland County district attorney told the public‑safety committee the office is exploring an ATM‑style breath‑testing kiosk that would allow fingerprinted people on bond to submit breath samples and receive testing alerts.
"It's $1,500 a month," the district attorney said, describing a two‑year contract, an included supply allotment and calibration requirements. The device takes a video of the person giving the breath sample, ties samples to a fingerprinted account, and can issue alerts requiring a person to report to a location for additional testing.
The district attorney said the kiosk vendor offers an array of options — from per‑use fees to setup fees — and emphasized that the machine does not itself perform urine drug testing. "We still need a person on the other end to actually administer the urine test," the district attorney said, noting that an on‑site human resource would be required when urine samples are collected.
The presentation included cost mechanics the committee asked the county to consider: the vendor's flat monthly fee of $1,500, a two‑year contract, an initial allotment of disposable straws supplied with the machine, a periodic calibration gas refill, and potential per‑test charges if the county elected to bill offenders for use. The district attorney also flagged a possible funding source: opioid‑settlement money could be tapped to cover kiosk costs in treatment‑court or pretrial programs.
Committee members sought operational detail. The sheriff and others cautioned that urine tests would still require human staff to collect and process samples and that the kiosk could increase workload rather than reduce it. The district attorney said other counties use the kiosks and that staff could arrange a vendor demonstration; the committee asked that a Zoom demonstration or in‑person demo be scheduled with judges and jail staff.
Next steps: staff will coordinate a vendor demonstration and return with operational options (staffing, user fees, and possible grant/funding sources) for committee consideration. The transcript records discussion of costs and next steps but does not include a formal motion or vote on purchasing a kiosk at this meeting.
