How to Build an Affordable Alcohol Monitoring Program

Budget limitations do not have to prevent an agency from implementing an effective alcohol monitoring program. When used as an alternative to detention or incarceration, electronic monitoring can help jurisdictions control costs while maintaining visibility into alcohol use.

The right approach depends on the population being monitored, the agency’s available resources, and how program responsibilities will be managed. These steps can help courts and agencies build a program that supports both operational and supervision goals.

1. Define Your Program Goals

Start by identifying the supervision challenge the program needs to address. This will help determine the appropriate technology, operating model, funding structure, and participant criteria.

Consider:

• Who will be eligible for monitoring
• Whether monitoring will replace a more costly intervention or supplement existing supervision
• How long participants will remain in the program
• What testing, reporting, and response protocols will be required
• How program success will be measured

2. Choose an Operating Model

Alcohol monitoring programs can be managed by a service provider, operated directly by an agency, or structured as a combination of both.

Service Provider Managed

A service provider can manage participant enrollment, device installation, equipment maintenance, payment collection, reporting, and court support. This model can reduce the agency’s administrative workload and need for additional staff.

Agency Managed

Agencies with established staff and electronic monitoring resources may choose to manage enrollment, equipment, monitoring information, and program response internally. This provides greater operational control but requires more agency capacity.

Hybrid

A hybrid model divides responsibilities between the agency and its service provider. This allows an agency to maintain control over key program functions while receiving additional operational support.

3. Understand the Total Cost

The daily monitoring rate is only one part of a program’s overall cost. Agencies should evaluate the complete operational requirements of each model, including:

• Equipment and monitoring services
• Participant enrollment, installation, and removal
• Staff training and ongoing support
• Review of monitoring information and confirmed events
• Violation documentation and court reporting
• Equipment maintenance and replacement
• Payment collection and financial assistance administration

These expenses should be compared with the intervention the program is intended to replace, such as detention, incarceration, residential placement, or another intensive supervision option.

4. Build a Funding Strategy

A sustainable program does not have to rely on a single funding source. Courts and agencies may use one or more of the following approaches:

• Agency funding: Program costs are covered through the jurisdiction’s operating or supervision budget.
• Grant funding: Eligible local, state, or federal funding helps support equipment, implementation, or monitoring expenses.
• Participant funding: Participants pay all or a portion of their monitoring costs based on program policy and their ability to pay.
• Blended funding: Agency resources, grants, and participant payments are combined to distribute costs and expand program capacity.
• Flexible purchasing: Rental, cooperative purchasing, and other procurement options align expenses with available resources.

5. Plan for Participant Affordability

Participant payments can help offset program costs, but an individual’s ability to pay should not prevent access to an appropriate supervision option. Agencies should establish clear financial hardship policies before launching the program.

Options may include sliding scale fees, reduced or waived payments, deferred payment schedules, agency funded placements, and financial assistance through the SCRAM Systems Client Assistance Program.

6. Define the Program Workflow

Before launch, determine who will enroll participants, install equipment, review monitoring information, respond to confirmed events, notify supervision officers, and report information to the court.

The agency and its monitoring provider should also agree on training, escalation procedures, technical support, payment administration, and ongoing program responsibilities.

7. Measure Program Results

Tracking financial and supervision outcomes helps agencies evaluate performance and identify opportunities for improvement.

Useful measures may include:

• Cost per monitored participant
• Detention or incarceration days avoided
• Successful program completion rates
• Confirmed alcohol events and response times
• Staff time required per case
• Use of financial assistance or reduced fees

Build a Program That Fits Your Agency

An affordable alcohol monitoring program requires more than selecting a device or comparing daily rates. The operating model, funding strategy, participant policies, and agency workflow must work together to support sustainable implementation.

SCRAM Systems works with courts and agencies to develop alcohol monitoring programs based on their supervision goals, available resources, and operational needs.