Excerpts from an editorial in the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington:
“HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — … A test group of offenders have been issued the new SOBERLINK device, which combines cellphone and GPS technology with a hand-held Breathalyzer. Officers with the Sheriff’s Alternative Sentencing Division can place a call to the offender at any time of day, requiring them to provide a breath sample…
“…The calls are made a minimum of four times a day, and a blood-alcohol content of 0.02 percent will trigger an immediate alert to an officer, who can then respond quickly to that location. Depending on the situation, the officer can make an arrest and revoke the home confinement…
“…One third-offense offender already has completed 45 days of monitoring, providing 175 negative breath samples during the period. That is a good result that protects the public and gives the offender an important step toward recovery, without the expense of a jail cell.”
