PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Feb. 19, 2025
Contact: Alisa Bousa, Public Information Officer, Alisa.Bousa@ujs.state.sd.us, 605.773.2031
Second Circuit DUI Court to Hold Graduation on February 25
PIERRE, S.D.— Second Circuit DUI Court will hold a graduation ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, at 11 a.m. CST to recognize the accomplishments of those completing the program.
The ceremony will be held in Courtroom 3B at the Minnehaha County Courthouse, 425 N. Dakota Ave., Sioux Falls. Attendees are asked to enter the courthouse through the front entry, where they will have to go through security screening. They will then take the elevators, located to the right of the security area, to the third floor.
The keynote speaker will be Mel Harrington, a volunteer and board of director for Tallgrass Recovery and Sober Living in Sioux Falls. Before retiring, Harrington was a social worker and director of counseling and the reentry/fatherhood programs at Lutheran Social Services.
For three decades, there has been a growing movement to transform the way the justice system responds to substance use and mental health disorders. Rather than continuing the revolving door of addiction and related crime, treatment courts break the cycle by holding individuals accountable while connecting them with the treatment and support needed to change their lives. DUI court utilizes a multi-disciplinary team approach with its participants to ensure their successful reintegration into the community as law abiding citizens.
Second Circuit Drug Court was established in 2011, followed by DUI Court in 2013, Veterans Court in 2016, and Mental Health Court in 2020. Learn more about South Dakota’s treatment courts at https://ujs.sd.gov/Circuit_Court/Problem_Solving_Courts/Default.aspx.
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About South Dakota Courts: The Unified Judicial System (UJS) consists of the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts and State Court Administrator’s Office. The Supreme Court is the state’s highest court and final decision maker on South Dakota law. The Circuit Courts are the state’s trial courts where criminal proceedings and civil litigation are handled. The State Court Administrator’s Office provides centralized administrative assistance and support services for the South Dakota judiciary. Learn more at https://ujs.sd.gov.