Reducing Jail Overcrowding Through Continuous Alcohol Monitoring 

The Spartanburg County Detention Facility uses SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring in its alcohol offender management program to promote 24/7 accountability, protect the community, save taxpayer dollars, and ease jail overcrowding. 

While the facility strives to provide a humane, safe, secure, and sanitary detention environment for both pretrial and sentenced offenders, the reality is that the jail operates significantly over capacity on a consistent basis. The jail's daily capacity is 586 inmates, but the population typically hovers around 800 inmates and has reached as high as 915. Admissions average 52 new detainees per day but can exceed 100 on any given day. 

To address this severe overcrowding problem, Spartanburg County's Home Detention Program employs a combination of SCRAM CAM, house arrest, and GPS monitoring for non-violent alcohol offenders who can safely be released into the community under electronic supervision. 

Challenges 

Severe Jail Overcrowding 

The Spartanburg County Detention Facility faces a persistent overcrowding crisis. With a daily capacity of 586 inmates, the population regularly exceeds 800 and has spiked to 915. This overcrowding strains facility resources, staff, and the county's ability to maintain safe and humane conditions. 

High Daily Admission Rates 

The facility averages 52 new detainees per day, with some days seeing over 100 admissions. This constant influx of individuals creates ongoing pressure on jail capacity and makes sustainable population management extremely difficult. 

Managing Alcohol-Related Offenders 

Offenders with multiple DUI convictions require intensive supervision to protect public safety. Traditional incarceration for these individuals contributes significantly to overcrowding while consuming valuable jail resources that could be directed toward higher-risk populations. 

Balancing Public Safety with Community Supervision 

The county needed a solution that would allow non-violent alcohol offenders to remain in the community while still maintaining accountability and protecting public safety. Any alternative to incarceration had to include swift and certain consequences for violations. 

Program Goals 

Reduce Jail Population 

Safely release non-violent alcohol offenders into the community under electronic supervision, freeing jail beds for higher-risk individuals while maintaining public safety standards. 

Ensure 24/7 Accountability 

Implement continuous alcohol monitoring to verify sobriety around the clock, providing courts and agencies with reliable compliance data and immediate notification of any drinking events or tampering attempts. 

Create a Self-Sustaining Program 

Develop an offender-paid monitoring program that reduces taxpayer burden while delivering meaningful cost savings to the county through reduced incarceration expenses. 

The Solution: SCRAM CAM and Home Detention Program 

Spartanburg County first began using SCRAM CAM in 2006, and usage of the device has tripled since then. The Home Detention Program combines CONTINUOUS ALCOHOL MONITORING with house arrest and GPS for comprehensive offender supervision. 

CONTINUOUS ALCOHOL MONITORING 

SCRAM CAM provides 24/7 transdermal alcohol testing, automatically sampling and recording alcohol consumption data throughout the day. The device is used on offenders with 2 or more DUI convictions, ensuring that high-risk individuals remain accountable during their supervision period. 

Swift and Certain Enforcement 

Because the Detention Facility's officers and staff monitor and manage the Home Detention Program internally in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies and the courts, program enforcement is swift and certain. If an offender drinks or tampers while on SCRAM CAM, they are picked up by a Home Detention Officer or a deputy from the jail and immediately returned to custody to complete their sentence. 

Pretrial Bond Condition Application 

Individuals charged with an alcohol-related crime may also be placed in the program as a condition of bond while awaiting trial. If the offender is out on bond and violates, they are taken back into custody. A hearing is then scheduled before the court to determine whether the judge wishes to allow the offender to be released back on bond with any new conditions or held in custody pending trial. 

Results 

The Spartanburg County SCRAM CAM program delivers measurable outcomes for the county, the courts, and the community: 

• Save the county over $1 million annually in incarceration costs (on average, $52 per day per offender) 
• Operate as a fully self-sustaining, offender-paid program that reduces taxpayer burden 
• Triple program usage since implementation began in 2006 
• Provide swift and certain consequences for violations through coordinated enforcement 
• Support positive behavior change among program graduates who complete their monitoring period with no drinking events 
• Enable collaboration between the Detention Facility, Sheriff's Office, criminal justice agencies, and courts to drive program compliance 

Home Detention Program supervisor Nancy Vinson works directly with the Sheriff's Office, other criminal justice agencies, and the courts to drive SCRAM CAM program compliance. She notes that many of the SCRAM CAM graduates who have successfully completed their monitoring period with no drinking events have achieved positive and insightful results. 

Note: Specific recidivism reduction percentages and total number of individuals monitored were not available in the source content for this case study.