The 24/7 Sobriety Program grew out of a pilot project began in the spring of 2010 in Lewis and Clark County as a collaborative effort between Attorney General Steve Bullock, the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, the Helena Police Department, the Lewis and Clark County Attorney’s Office, the Helena City Attorney’s Office, with critical support from the judges in Lewis and Clark County and the City of Helena. Sponsored by Rep. Steve Lavin, of Kalispell, and passed with broad, bipartisan support in the 2011 Legislature, House Bill 106 authorizes any county to implement the 24/7 Sobriety Program.

In the 24/7 Program, drivers charged or convicted of a second or subsequent DUI offense can be ordered undergo twice daily breath tests or to wear a bracelet that monitors alcohol in their bodies.

This gives judges the assurance that accused DUI offenders are adhering to one of the most common requirements of release from jail: that people do not use alcohol or drugs.

It also gives citizens the assurance that people who have already been convicted of drunken driving once are not drinking and driving again while they await their day in court or after they’ve already been convicted of their second or subsequent DUI offense. Our roads are safer.

In the pilot phase, nearly 99 percent of the tests administered showed no signs of alcohol. Some of the participants credit the program for helping them stay clean. Administrators of the program overcame initial reticence and designed a program that works smoothly and efficiently.

The statewide law goes into effect on Oct. 1, 2011. This website gives counties the resources they need to successfully launch the program in their jurisdictions. Here you will find:

• Legal documents customizable to your county necessary for running 24/7.
• Sample forms from Lewis and Clark County as a guide.
• An interview with Jolene Peavey, the administrator of Lewis and Clark County’s program. Peavey answers practical questions about running 24/7.
• A link to the law creating the program.

Thank you for your interest in the 24/7 Sobriety Program. We are eager to work with Montana’s criminal justice and judicial systems to help all of us better serve the public and keep our roads safe.