News
As Inmates Are Released From Jails to Mitigate
Virus Transmission, An AB Kiosk Could Be Keeping Tabs On Them
The AB Kiosk system can autonomously monitor released inmates without face-to-face interaction with probation officers or jail staff.
Minneapolis, Minn. – March 31, 2020 – Across the U.S., jail administrators are releasing inmates to reduce their jail populations as they plan for the arrival of the coronavirus. As expected, this is causing concern within some communities that are wondering if anyone is monitoring these newly freed inmates. The good news is that the autonomous AB Kiosk system, which is already being used in the lobbies of jails and courthouses to conduct court-mandated probation check-ins and alcohol screenings, can also be used to monitor those inmates who are being released into the community.
More than 20 county courts and probation departments across the Midwest already use the AB Kiosk system to conduct alcohol screening, pre-trial monitoring, and probation check-ins. This includes Marion County, Indiana, whose six AB Kiosks currently monitor more than 1,700 low-risk probation clients.
“County courts and Sheriff’s offices would like to maintain some degree of monitoring of inmates who are released early due to overcrowding or any other factor,” says Patrick McKinney, general manager of Precision Kiosk Technologies in Minneapolis. “Using probation officers to conduct face-to-face check-ins with inmates would be a logical option in normal times, but this would also increase the risks of coronavirus transmission. Our AB Kiosk can autonomously conduct recorded check-ins with released inmates – and the results of these check-ins can be remotely monitored in real time.”
For any newly released inmate, the AB Kiosk handles the entire monitoring process from start to finish:
- Set Kiosk schedules for the client check-ins and alcohol monitoring
- Notify the client via texts and emails to check-in using a Kiosk
- Use biometric fingerprint authentication to confirm the client’s identity
- Capture photos and video of each check-in
- Deliver questions to the client and upload his or her responses
- Issue a time-stamped receipt to the client
- Notify the probation officer of the completed check-in
- Alert the probation officer or jail supervisor when a check-in is missed
- Automatically update the client’s records, including any changes in address, employment, or participation in mandated treatment programs
In most cases the AB Kiosk is located in the lobbies of the jail or courthouses where clients do not have to go through security to use the Kiosks. By using the AB Kiosk for low-risk clients, supervisors are also able to separate high- and low-risk clients, which prevents negative interactions between these groups.
About Precision Kiosk Technologies
Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies (PKT) provides secure high-volume probation monitoring and alcohol screening for law enforcement and courts. The company’s AB Kiosk reduces the administrative burden of alcohol screening and other court-mandated programs, including probation check-ins, cashless bail, Huber work release, and pre- and post-trial services. To learn more about the AB Kiosk system, please visit www.abkiosk.com.
Company contact: Patrick McKinney, General Manager, 612-325-6585
pmckinney@precisionkiosktech.com
Marion County Contact: Christine Kerl, Chief Probation Officer, 317-327-3059
christine.kerl@indy.gov
Lenawee County Becomes the First County in Michigan to Use AB Kiosks for Alcohol Monitoring
The AB Kiosk system fully automates alcohol monitoring and other court-mandated services, including probation check-ins and cashless bail monitoring.
Minneapolis, Minn. – (February 5, 2020) Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies, together with its exclusive Michigan service partner JSG Monitoring, announced today that Lenawee County has become the first county in Michigan to use the AB Kiosk® system to coordinate and conduct alcohol monitoring of DUI offenders and other clients of the court. Lenawee County has installed the Kiosk in the Sheriff’s Office where it expects to screen up to 30 clients a day for alcohol use. The County Probation Office also expects to begin using the Kiosk to conduct probation check-ins among low-risk clients.
In many states, judges require clients of the court to refrain from using alcohol as a condition of their release, probation, extended supervision, or diversion program. To carry out this directive, clients are required to submit to random alcohol screening, a process that is both costly and time consuming for deputies to administer using handheld breathalyzers. The AB Kiosk system automates the entire process, frees up staff for higher-value work, reduces administrative costs, and immediately identifies those who violate the conditions of their release.
“The AB Kiosk system automates our entire alcohol screening system and enables our deputies to focus their attention on investigations and patrols,” says Sheriff Troy Brevier. “The simplicity and accessibility of the system also makes it easier for clients to conform to the conditions of their pre-trial release or sentencing, which ultimately increases the safety of our communities.”
The AB Kiosk system leverages two highly integrated and secure components – an interactive stand-alone kiosk and an easy-to-use client-management software program. The interactive Kiosk uses biometric fingerprint authentication to verify the identity of the individual, captures still images and video as it administers each breathalyzer screening or probation check-in, and automatically uploads the client data. The Kiosk can test up to 30 individuals per hour without any direct supervision by jurisdiction staff. The client-management software program simplifies new-client onboarding, and enables regular and random test scheduling. Deputies and other supervisors can access the client-management program from any computer, smartphone or tablet, and use it to quickly generate test reports on any segment of their client population.
About Precision Kiosk Technologies
Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies (PKT) leads the electronic monitoring industry in providing high-volume autonomous breathalyzer testing to law enforcement jurisdictions. The company’s AB Kiosk system simplifies and reduces the administrative burden of alcohol screening and other court-mandated offender programs, including probation check-ins, work release monitoring, and pre- and post-trial services. To learn more about the AB Kiosk system and view a video of the alcohol monitoring process, please visit www.abkiosk.com/video.
About JSG Monitoring
Jackson based JSG Monitoring (JSG) is a leading supplier of electronic monitoring equipment in Michigan. JSG services Michigan courts and sheriff’s offices with a full range of products, including the AB Kiosk System, Portable Breath Testing, and Transdermal and GPS devices. For additional information on JSG Monitoring please visit www.jsgmonitoring.com
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Company Contact:
Patrick McKinney
General Manager
Precision Kiosk Technologies
651-383-1213
PMcKinney@precisionkiosktech.com
JSG Monitoring:
John Hays, President
517-788-8160
john@jsgmonitoring.com
Jurisdiction Contact:
Sheriff Troy Brevier
Lenawee County
517-263-0524
Troy.Brevier@lenawee.mi.us[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
Marion County installs kiosks for offenders to check in without probation officer
Read more at WTHR 13 News Indianapolis
Edina firm’s breathalyzer kiosk touted as game changer for authorities, parolees
Wisconsin Public Radio Profiles Precision Kiosk Technologies
Read more at Wisconsin Public Radio
WEAU News Covers Use of the AB Kiosk at Chippewa County Jail in Wisconsin
Read more at WEAU TV 13[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
Wisconsin Courts are Pioneering the Use of Automated Alcohol Screening
Lafayette and Waupaca Become the Latest Counties to Use This New Technology
Minneapolis, Minn. – (July 16, 2019) Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies announced today that the Sheriff’s Offices of Lafayette and Waupaca Counties in Wisconsin have begun using Automated Breathalyzer Kiosks (AB Kiosks) to conduct court-mandated alcohol screening. They join the Wisconsin counties of Iowa, Racine, Door, Portage, and St. Croix in pioneering this new technology, which since January 1, 2018, has autonomously conducted more than 50,000 tests with an alcohol-free compliance rate of 99.5%.
The Time-Intensive Process for Two Decades
On any given day, Sheriff’s deputies and jail administrators in Wisconsin screen thousands of people for alcohol by following a labor-intensive process of coordinating, conducting, and logging Preliminary Breath Tests (PBTs). Sheriff deputies first assign offenders to testing groups based on number of days a week and the number of times a day they are to be tested. Offenders are then instructed to call in each day to learn the time they will appear for screening. Throughout the day, deputies then meet offenders in the lobby of the jail or courthouse, escort them through security, and conduct the screenings. If the individual passes the test, he or she is cleared. However, if the presence of alcohol is indicated by a PBT, the offender will be retested using more sensitive equipment to confirm the preliminary reading. As one would guess, this process takes a lot of time.
New Automation Handles Everything
In Wisconsin, the Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk is increasingly handling the entire alcohol screening process:
- Establishes and coordinates randomized test scheduling for each group in a county
- Notifies individuals when to appear for alcohol screening
- Uses biometric fingerprint authentication to verify the identity of the individual
- Captures video as it administers each breathalyzer test
- Immediately alerts deputies or jailers in the event of a failed test
- Generates reports for the Sheriff’s office or jail administrator.
Operating without any direct supervision, the Kiosk can test up to 40 individuals per hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“The AB Kiosk increases the safety of Wisconsin communities by ensuring that offenders complete the terms of their work release or probation programs,” said Patrick McKinney, general manager of Precision Kiosk Technologies. “In addition, the Kiosk coordinates and conducts all the alcohol screening for the County thereby freeing up deputies for higher-value work.”
About Precision Kiosk Technologies
Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies (PKT) leads the electronic monitoring industry in providing high-volume autonomous breathalyzer testing to law enforcement and courts. The company’s Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk (AB Kiosk) reduces the administrative burden of alcohol screening and other court-mandated offender programs, including probation check-in, Huber work release, and pre- and post-trial services. In addition, PKT designs automated testing kiosks for airports and mass transit facilities, and stadiums and arenas. To learn more about the AB Kiosk system and view a video of the testing process, please visit www.abkiosk.com.
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Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department
Kiosk location: Entryway of Waupaca County Jail
Captain Adam Wogsland, Jail Captain
adam.wogsland@co.waupaca.wi.us
Phone: 715.256.4506
Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department
Kiosk location: Entryway of Lafayette County Jail
Sheriff Reginald Gill
sheriff.gill@lafayettecountywi.org
608.776.4870
Company Contact:
Patrick McKinney
General Manager
Precision Kiosk Technologies
612-325-6585
PMcKinney@precisionkiosktech.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1563291328941{margin-right: 50px !important;margin-left: 50px !important;}”]
Iowa County Begins Using an Automated Breathalyzer
Kiosk for Alcohol Screening at the County Jail
Minneapolis, Minn. – (April 2, 2019) Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies announced today that the Sheriff’s Office of Iowa County, Wisconsin, has installed an Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk (AB Kiosk) at the Iowa County Jail in Dodgeville. Deputies have begun using this autonomous system to conduct alcohol screening of offenders participating in the Huber Work Release program as well as people awaiting trial or sentencing for drug and alcohol offenses. Later this year they will also use the AB Kiosks to screen those who pick up Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) offenders at the jail.
The Iowa County Sheriff’s Office and the County’s Assistant District Attorney, Matthew Allen, are spearheading the integration of this new technology into law enforcement efforts to improve community safety in Iowa County. Since the AB Kiosk was introduced in January 2018, sheriff’s offices in Wisconsin have used the AB Kiosk system to autonomously conduct more than 42,500 alcohol-monitoring tests and have achieved a “passed test” compliance rate of 99.6%. Iowa County joins the Wisconsin counties of Racine, Door, Portage, and St. Croix in using the AB Kiosk system.
“The AB Kiosk system promotes public safety in Iowa County by allowing us to closely monitor participants in our Huber Work Release and treatment court programs, as well as those offenders who are awaiting trial or sentencing,” said assistant district attorney, Matthew Allen. “Automating our alcohol screening program also frees up our law enforcement staff for higher-value work and assists us in tracking the effectiveness of our offender programs.”
The Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk™ is a secure, integrated system that autonomously handles alcohol screening from start to finish. It consists of two components: an interactive alcohol-screening kiosk and a robust offender-management software program. The Kiosk uses biometric fingerprint authentication to verify the identity of the individual, captures video as it administers the breathalyzer test, and automatically uploads the test results to the offender’s file. Operating without any direct supervision, the Kiosk can test up to 40 individuals per hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The system’s cloud-based offender-management software simplifies new-client onboarding, coordinates regular and random test scheduling, and handles all test notifications and accounting. Program administrators can initiate a screening program by uploading an entire database in seconds, and deputies can access their offender-management program from any computer, smartphone or tablet.
“We are very pleased to have Iowa County adopt the AB Kiosk system to monitor their offender populations,” said Patrick McKinney, general manager of Precision Kiosk Technologies. “This system will greatly improve the efficiency of their alcohol-screening programs and increase the safety of their communities.”
About Precision Kiosk Technologies
Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies (PKT) leads the electronic monitoring industry in providing high-volume autonomous breathalyzer testing to law enforcement jurisdictions. The company’s stand-alone Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk (AB Kiosk) simplifies and reduces the administrative burden of alcohol screening and other court-mandated offender programs, including probation check-in, Huber work release, and pre- and post-trial services. In addition, PKT designs automated testing kiosks for airports and mass transit facilities, and stadiums and arenas. To learn more about the AB Kiosk system and view a video of the testing process, please visit www.abkiosk.com/video.
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Company Contact:
Patrick McKinney
General Manager
Precision Kiosk Technologies
651-383-1213
Email: PMcKinney@precisionkiosktech.com
Jurisdiction Contact:
Matthew C. Allen
Assistant District Attorney, Iowa County
(608) 935-0393
Email: Matthew.Allen@da.wi.gov
Precision Kiosk Technologies Adds Authorized Distributors in Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa, Expanding Its Midwest Footprint in Law Enforcement
Minneapolis, Minn. – (February 15, 2019) Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies, the industry leader in autonomous, randomized alcohol monitoring systems, announced today that it has added two Authorized Distributors for its Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk (AB Kiosk) and is expanding its sales footprint into Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa. Joining the AB Kiosk sales team is JSG Monitoring of Jackson, MI, and Midwest Monitoring and Surveillance of Burnsville, MN. Precision Kiosk Technologies currently has Authorized Distributors in Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
JSG Monitoring is headquartered in Jackson with offices throughout Michigan, where it provides a broad range of services to Michigan courts and law enforcement agencies, including collections, electronic offender monitoring, PBT reporting, and bench warrant service. The company will be responsible for distributing and servicing the AB Kiosk system throughout Michigan. Midwest Monitoring and Surveillance specializes in electronic offender monitoring, and operates five offices in Minnesota. Midwest Monitoring is a leading representative for SCRAM Remote Breath Alcohol Tester and the SCRAM GPS Systems. The company will be responsible for distributing and servicing the AB Kiosk system throughout Minnesota and Iowa.
The AB Kiosk is a secure, integrated system that autonomously handles alcohol monitoring from start to finish. In 2018, sheriff offices in Wisconsin used the AB Kiosk system to autonomously conduct more than 31,500 alcohol-monitoring tests and achieved a “passed test” compliance rate of 99.5%.
The AB Kiosk system consists of two integrated components: an interactive alcohol-screening kiosk and a robust offender-management software program. The Kiosk uses biometric fingerprint authentication to verify the identity of the individual, captures video as it administers the breathalyzer test, and automatically uploads the test results to the offender’s file. Operating without any direct supervision, the Kiosk can test up to 40 individuals per hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The system’s cloud-based offender-management software simplifies new-client onboarding, coordinates regular and random test scheduling, and handles all test notifications and accounting.
“We are excited to have JSG Monitoring and Midwest Monitoring representing the AB Kiosk system in these key Midwest states,” said Patrick McKinney, general manager of Precision Kiosk Technologies. “Both of these firms have unmatched reputations for integrity and service to their law enforcement agencies, and their representation of the AB Kiosk will undoubtedly enhance the safety of their communities.”
About Precision Kiosk Technologies
Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies (PKT) leads the electronic monitoring industry in providing high-volume autonomous breathalyzer testing to law enforcement jurisdictions. The company’s stand-alone Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk (AB Kiosk) simplifies and reduces the administrative burden of alcohol screening and other court-mandated offender programs, including probation check-in, Huber work release, and pre- and post-trial services. In addition, PKT designs automated testing kiosks for airports and mass transit facilities, and stadiums and arenas. To learn more about the AB Kiosk system and view a video of the testing process, please visit www.abkiosk.com/video.
# # #
Company Contact:
Patrick McKinney
General Manager
Precision Kiosk Technologies
651-383-1213
PMcKinney@precisionkiosktech.com
AB Kiosk Delivers 99.5% Alcohol-Free Compliance in Wisconsin
A Profile of Four Counties in One State
In 2018, four Wisconsin Counties used the Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk system to coordinate and conduct daily, randomized alcohol screening of offender populations. The AB Kiosks conducted these tests without any direct supervision by law enforcement or department of corrections personnel, and uploaded the results to the system’s offender management database.
The Results
Of the first 20,000 alcohol screening tests administered by the Kiosks in 2018, 99.5% were negative for the presence of alcohol.
The Immediate Benefits
• Offenders are respecting the Automated Breathalyzer System, showing up on time for their tests, and are adhering to the alcohol-free conditions of their pre-trial, probation, DUI or work-release mandates.
• Sheriff deputies and other supervisors are freed up from conducting alcohol screening using hand-held devices, and are devoting their time to higher-level law enforcement activities.
• County jails have reduced their populations of non-violent offenders.
• The State’s roads and communities are safer.
Learn what the AB Kiosk can do for your community by contacting Michael Noel: mnoel@precisionkiosktech.com
office: 651-383-1215
Door County Begins Using Automated Breathalyzer Kiosks for Court-Mandated Sobriety Testing
Minneapolis, Minn. – (July 9, 2018) Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies announced today that the Sheriff’s Office of Door County, Wisconsin, has installed two Automated Breathalyzer Kiosks (AB Kiosks) at the Door County Justice Center in Sturgeon Bay and has begun using them to conduct daily alcohol screening of offenders participating in the Huber Work Release program. Later this year they will also begin utilizing one of the AB Kiosks for their Pre-Trial Release program.
In Wisconsin, many offenders must refrain from using alcohol as a condition of their release, probation, or diversion program. To carry out this directive, sheriff’s deputies typically conduct random alcohol screening using handheld breathalyzer devices – a process that is both costly and time consuming.
The Automated Breathalyzer KioskTM is a secure, integrated system that autonomously handles alcohol screening from start to finish. It consists of two components: an interactive alcohol-screening kiosk and a robust offender-management software program. The Kiosk uses biometric fingerprint authentication to verify the identity of the individual, captures video as it administers the breathalyzer test, and automatically uploads the test results to the offender’s file. Operating without any direct supervision, the Kiosk can test up to 40 individuals per hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The system’s cloud-based offender-management software simplifies new-client onboarding, coordinates regular and random test scheduling, and handles all test notifications and accounting. Program administrators can initiate a screening program by uploading an entire database in seconds, and deputies can access their offender-management program from any computer, smartphone or tablet.
“The AB KioskTM system will free up our deputies for other duties, and give us tremendous flexibility in screening offenders each week,” said Lt. Tammy Sternard. “By automating these programs, we will also enable our offender populations to safely and successfully complete the terms of their probation, parole, and work release programs.”
“We are honored to have Door County adopt the AB Kiosk system to monitor their offender populations,” said Patrick McKinney, general manager of Precision Kiosk Technologies. “This system will improve the efficiency of the County’s alcohol-screening programs and increase the safety of its communities.”
About Precision Kiosk Technologies
Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies (PKT) leads the electronic monitoring industry in providing high-volume autonomous breathalyzer testing to law enforcement jurisdictions. The company’s stand-alone Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk (AB Kiosk) simplifies and reduces the administrative burden of alcohol screening and other court-mandated offender programs, including probation check-in, Huber work release, and pre- and post-trial services. In addition, PKT designs automated testing kiosks for airports and mass transit facilities, and stadiums and arenas. To learn more about the AB Kiosk system and view a video of the testing process, please visit www.abkiosk.com/video.
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Company Contact:
Patrick McKinney
General Manager
Precision Kiosk Technologies
651-383-1213
PMcKinney@precisionkiosktech.com
Three Wisconsin Counties Begin Using Autonomous Kiosks to Conduct Alcohol Screening
The stand-alone Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk autonomously conducts sobriety testing and other court-mandated offender services
Minneapolis, Minn. – (December 11, 2017) Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies announced today that it has begun introducing its Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk (AB Kiosk) to law enforcement agencies and correctional facilities in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Portage County Justice Programs, and the Sheriff’s Offices of St. Croix County and Racine County in Wisconsin recently began using this new technology to screen specific segments of their offender populations.
The AB Kiosk is a secure, autonomous system that is designed to fully automate alcohol screening that is widely conducted by sheriff offices. In many states, judges assign offenders to refrain from using alcohol as a condition of release, probation, extended supervision, or diversion program. To monitor this directive, offenders are required to submit to random, periodic alcohol screening, an administrative process that is both costly and burdensome for many jurisdictions.
The AB Kiosk system reduces the supervisory burden and costs of court-mandated alcohol screening by integrating two primary components – an interactive alcohol-screening kiosk and a robust, cloud-based offender-management software program.
The interactive Kiosk uses biometric fingerprint authentication to verify the identity of the individual, captures still images and video as it administers each breathalyzer test, and automatically uploads the test results. The Kiosk can test up to 40 individuals per hour without any direct supervision by jurisdiction staff, and its touchscreen can deliver customized questionnaires to selected individuals. The AB Kiosk frees up staff for other duties, saves taxpayer dollars, and greatly reduces the costs of monitoring offender populations. It also catches offenders who are violating the conditions of their release and immediately notifies authorities. A Kiosk can be located in a jail, sheriff’s department, courthouse or probation office, and it can perform alcohol screening 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The offender-management software program provides detailed real-time activity logs, simplifies new-client onboarding, and enables regular and random test scheduling. An entire database of offenders can be uploaded in seconds to initiate the program for any jurisdiction. Deputies and other supervisors can then access the offender-management program from any computer, smartphone or tablet, and use it to generate test reports on any segment of their offender population.
The AB Kiosk system is designed to work with either offender-paid or jurisdiction-paid models, and all accounting is handled within the offender-management system. Because of its versatility, the system can also conduct court-mandated programs such as day reporting, probation check in, Huber work release, diversion programs, and pre- and post-trial services.
“If a sheriff’s office is concerned about the manpower and costs associated with their alcohol screening programs, the AB Kiosk is their best solution,” said Patrick McKinney, general manager of Precision Kiosk Technologies. “This system simplifies the process for both offenders and the jurisdiction, and provides unlimited flexibility in tailoring the program within each jurisdiction. Perhaps most importantly, it closely monitors specific segments of offender populations and improves the safety of our communities.”
About Precision Kiosk Technologies
Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies (PKT) leads the electronic monitoring industry in providing high-volume autonomous breathalyzer testing to law enforcement jurisdictions. The company’s stand-alone Automated Breathalyzer Kiosk (AB Kiosk) simplifies and reduces the administrative burden of alcohol screening and other court-mandated offender programs, including probation check-in, Huber work release, and pre- and post-trial services. In addition, PKT designs automated testing kiosks for airports and mass transit facilities, and stadiums and arenas. To learn more about the AB Kiosk system and view a video of the testing process, please visit www.abkiosk.com/video.
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Company Contact:
Patrick McKinney
General Manager
Precision Kiosk Technologies
651-383-1213
PMcKinney@precisionkiosktech.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]