DENVER, CO—Denver-based Alcohol Monitoring Systems (AMS) has announced the release of the next generation of their popular alcohol-sensing ankle bracelets.
Known as SCRAM® II (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor), the bracelets are a high-tech monitoring tool that actually samples a person’s sweat at least once an hour, 24 × 7, to monitor for alcohol consumption. Currently used on DUI, domestic violence and other alcohol-triggered offenders in 44 states, the bracelets are designed specifically for long-term alcohol monitoring of offenders required to remain sober, either as part of a court order, an alcohol offender management program or an addiction treatment plan. According to AMS, the new generation of the system includes a smaller, lighter and more comfortable bracelet that will be less obtrusive and far more comfortable for long-term wear.
The bracelets, which gained international attention in 2007 due to a number of high-profile DUI offenders in Los Angeles County who were sentenced to wear the bracelets as part of DUI sentencing guidelines, also gained a reputation for being clunky, heavy and a bit uncomfortable to wear. “Offenders are sentenced to wear SCRAM Bracelets for months and sometimes years at a time,” says Don White, vice president of Field Operations for AMS, who confirms that the longest anyone has been onSCRAM to-date is 3 years and 8 months. “The new design is half the size and weight, which has improved the fit and comfort. That’s important both to the clients wearing the units and to the court and probation personnel who are managing them,” he adds. According to AMS, the average duration of a SCRAM sentence is just under 90 days, while the longest sentence handed down by a judge in Dallas, Texas, is 10 years. The company adds that while SCRAM II includes improvements in both ergonomics and appearance, the system’s essential testing components remain the same, which the company says will ensure continuity in terms of product durability and court validation of the technology.
AMS says that the system has conducted more than 101 million alcohol tests on just over 53,000 offenders since launching to the corrections market in April of 2003, with more than 7,000 units monitoring offenders on any given day nationwide. AMS will be replacing all existing SCRAM units currently on the market with the new units in a multi-phase process over the next several months. SCRAM II Bracelets will begin to ship to customers on January 23rd, and all the units currently on the market will be replaced with the new SCRAM II design by October.
About Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc.
Established in 1997, Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. manufactures SCRAM®, the world’s only Continuous Alcohol Monitoring system, which uses non-invasive transdermal analysis to monitor alcohol consumption.SCRAM fully automates the alcohol testing and reporting process, providing courts and community corrections agencies with the ability to continuously monitor alcohol offenders, increase offender accountability and assess compliance with sentencing requirements and treatment guidelines. Since its launch to the marketplace in 2003, SCRAM has monitored more than 53,000 offenders and is now in use in 44 states. Alcohol Monitoring Systems employs 86 people across the U.S. and is a privately held company headquartered in Littleton, Colorado.