Sobriety tag program launched in England

DENVER, April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Colorado-based SCRAM Systems® has been working with the Ministry of Justice in England and Wales toward the effort of curbing alcohol-related crime. Courts in Wales have had the power to impose a compulsory drinking ban on people convicted of alcohol-related crime since late last year. This sobriety requirement is called the Alcohol Abstinence and Monitoring Requirement (AAMR) and the Ministry of Justice is now rolling out the innovative new sentencing power to England effective this week.

Compliance with the new sentencing requirement is monitored with the use of SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring® bracelets (SCRAM CAM®), known abroad as "sobriety tags." SCRAM CAM tags rely on transdermal ("through the skin") science to test for the presence of alcohol found in perspiration, and tests every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day. The device has been used in various locations around the world since 2003. During that time, SCRAM Systems has successfully monitored over 800,000 individuals and performed 3.8 billion alcohol tests.

Probation officer Laura Harrison has been working on the Welsh rollout and appeared on a recent episode of BBC's Crimewatch to discuss the program. On the show she discussed one client who had been required to wear the device for 90 days, during which time he engaged in other interventions such as relapse prevention work, rehabilitation programs, and mental health support. Harrison quoted the client as saying that he attributed the sobriety tag to "saving his life."

Alcohol misuse can affect all regions of society and is found to be a contributing factor to various crimes including serious assaults, drink driving, and criminal damage. According to Public Health England, alcohol-related crime costs the UK economy more than £21.5bn a year and the Ministry of Justice has taken an innovative step to directly address the issue.

"We are thrilled to see this day arrive, with this sentencing option becoming available to courts across England and Wales," said Amit Sethi, Head of European Operations at SCRAM Systems. "We believe that it will have a positive impact on perpetrators of alcohol-related crimes and prove extremely valuable to those conducting the challenging job of managing criminal caseloads."

Notes to editorsThe Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement (AAMR) allows courts to impose a requirement that  individuals charged with alcohol-related crimes abstain from alcohol for a fixed time period of up to 120 days and be regularly tested, via a transdermal alcohol monitoring device in the form of a 'tag' fitted around the ankle, as part of a Community or Suspended Sentence Order. The technology was piloted in London between 2014 and 2018. It was also made available in Humberside, Lincolnshire, and North Yorkshire between 2017 and 2019.

About SCRAM SystemsSCRAM Systems is a leading provider of electronic monitoring and software solutions for the criminal justice industry. The company's flagship Continuous Alcohol Monitoring (CAM) technology, launched in 2003, revolutionized the way courts, agencies, and treatment providers monitor and manage alcohol-involved individuals. In 2013 the company launched the industry's most comprehensive suite of electronic monitoring technologies, which includes SCRAM Remote Breath®, SCRAM GPS® and SCRAM House Arrest®. The company has since launched software solutions including SCRAM Nexus® to support the adoption and deployment of Evidence-Based Practices, a mobile client engagement tool called SCRAM TouchPoint™, and the first license-based software platform, SCRAM 24/7™, to support probation and sobriety programs. SCRAM Systems employs 280 people worldwide and is a privately held company, with headquarters in Littleton, Colorado.

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SOURCE SCRAM Systems