By Elisa Sand
American News
ABERDEEN, S.D. — Shaun McPartland is one of nine participants who will graduate from the DUI Court program on Thursday, but although he feels the program has helped him make needed changes in his life, he wouldn’t recommend this program for anyone who isn’t willing to give 110 percent.
McPartland enrolled in the DUI Court program 18 months ago after appearing in court on DUI charges. He’d already been to prison for a third DUI.
“I didn’t learn anything in prison, so I continued to do the same thing and after I got out I got arrested for another third DUI,” he said explaining that one of his earlier DUI arrests had dropped off his record because it had taken place more than 10 years ago.
Once again in court, McPartland said he was faced with a choice — prison time or DUI court.
“When I signed up for the DUI Court, I didn’t realize it would be this intense,” he said.
Magistrate Judge Mark Anderson said each participant is required to progress through five phases of the program. In the beginning, participants are required to make weekly court appearances, meet with their probation officer three times a week; attend support group meetings for alcohol and mental health; attend regular recovery meetings and adhere to an 8 p.m. curfew. In addition, participants are subject to random urinalysis and participate in a 24-7 program that requires breathalyzers twice a day or an anklet that monitors blood alcohol 24-hours a day.
As participants make their way through the program, Anderson said, curfews are extended, court appearances are reduced and probation visits are lessened.
Everyone in the program is facing a felony DUI conviction, he said, which means they’ve had at least three DUI convictions, but there is an upper limit. Anderson said those who have seven lifetime convictions aren’t allowed in the program, but exceptions can be made depending on the timing of the convictions.
The Fifth Circuit DUI Court started in 2012 with grant funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety. Anderson said three participants graduated this spring, but this is the largest group of graduates for the program.
The program is overseen by a team of people who include Anderson, two attorneys and representatives from the Aberdeen Police Department, sheriff’s office, Northeastern Mental Health, Worthmore, and probation and court services.
McPartland said the nice part of the program is that he was able to carry out his day-to-day life as he worked through the program, but there have been times where he felt like he didn’t just have one probation officer.
“It feels like you have nine probation officers,” he said.
McPartland said going through the program has given him an opportunity to focus back on his family and career — both of which he lost sight of when he started drinking too much.
“Some don’t want to change. Some people do. At this point in my life, I’m 36 and I needed to change,” he said.
But the program wasn’t easy and along the way, he said, he’s had his frustrations.
“It’s way more intense than anything I’ve been through in my life,” he said. “It helps you find new coping skills.”
McPartland said he ended up back in court facing another DUI because he tried to cheat the system and drink in between his mandatory twice-daily breathalyzer tests. Cheating the system becomes much more difficult in DUI court, however, with random drop-ins from probation officers.
“It all boils down to choice,” he said. “Some of the rules are a tad bit extreme, but they have them in place for a reason.”
For McPartland, he struggled with holiday events with his family and asking others not to drink so he could be around.
“If you want to be around family, they have to accept the fact that you can’t be around alcohol or you can’t be there,” he said.
But, at some point, program participants have to acclimate back into society and get used to being around people who are drinking without falling back into the habit themselves.
“No matter how many rules they have, it all boils down to choice,” he said.
McPartland said within the program is a built-in understanding that participants will relapse. As such, there are consequences, but the supports are there to help as well.
Once he graduates, McPartland said, the supervision isn’t over. He has still 18 months of probation to complete, but he feels he’s in a better place.
“I’ll always be an alcoholic,” he said. “Right now, I’m at a point where I’m free from cravings and active use.”
As he nears two years of sobriety, he doesn’t know if a day will come where he drinks again, but he knows he has the coping skills and he also knows how hard he’s worked to rebuild his life and get to this point.