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Press Release
Press Release For Immediate Release:
February 3, 2004
Contact:
Christina Deibel or Linda Weyandt, (330) 535-8116
New Device Detects Alcohol Consumption Oriana House to Use Industry's First 24-Hour Alcohol Testing System
Akron Municipal Court judges now have a foolproof way of knowing if an offender consumes alcohol while on probation or out on bond. Oriana House is offering a new alcohol monitoring program that tests court-referred offenders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for alcohol use.
Known as SCRAM (the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor ), the system includes an 8-ounce bracelet that is worn around the ankle 24 hours a day and measures the amount of alcohol that migrates through a person's skin. This state-of-the-art technology collects, stores, and transmits alcohol level information and is tamper-resistant. The SCRAM Bracelet is the world's only non-invasive, 24-hour-a-day alcohol detection system.
"Conventional alcohol testing has posed some challenges in the past, because we would only know if a person consumed alcohol by administering a breathalyzer test while the alcohol was still in the person's system," said Oriana House Executive Vice President Bernie Rochford. "The SCRAM Bracelet will test at least once every hour and store that information," Rochford continued. "There is no way to avoid detection. Big brother is definitely watching."
The SCRAM Bracelet has two components. The first part contains a sensor pack that measures insensible perspiration, which is the constant, unnoticeable excretion of sweat through the skin. When alcohol is consumed, ethanol migrates through the skin and is excreted in the insensible perspiration. SCRAM measures this ethanol in order to determine a person's Transdermal Alcohol Concentration (TAC ).
The second component contains electronics for tamper detection and system control, as well as collecting, storing and wirelessly transferring the data through the use of a modem. If alcohol or a tamper is detected, the system automatically begins sampling every 30 minutes until alcohol is no longer present. Every reading is date- and time-stamped and stored in a memory chip within the SCRAM Bracelet until the data is transmitted, via a standard telephone line and a secure telephone network. The control center for the SCRAM System, SCRAMNET, is accessed via the Internet using standard web browsers.
Mike Iiams, chairman and CEO of Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc., the company that manufactures the SCRAM Bracelet, said that one of the primary goals for SCRAM was to provide a tool that would help treatment providers better understand where their patients are in the treatment cycle. "Lasting behavioral change is essential to get repeat DUI offenders out of the alcohol abuse cycle. And that takes a combination of quality programs, continuous alcohol monitoring, and consistent reinforcement," said Iiams. He also said that the advantage isn't limited to just identifying violators for further judicial action, but also allowing identification and early intervention when an offender is having trouble. "Because alcohol metabolizes quickly and leaves no residual indicators, continuous monitoring will provide an unprecedented level of information that can improve the entire treatment process."
According to Rochford, Oriana House's Alcohol Monitoring Program is intended for several types of offenders, including adult offenders who have been convicted of multiple DUI violations and are seeking driving privileges or need 24-hour alcohol monitoring; people arrested for a multiple DUI offense that the court makes abstinence from alcohol a condition of bond; people engaged in chemical dependency treatment who have demonstrated an inability to refrain from the use of alcohol during treatment; and offenders under supervision who have demonstrated an inability to remain alcohol-free.
Rochford said Oriana House will regularly monitor a client's tests, and Akron Municipal Court officials will also have the ability to regularly review the information.
Akron Municipal Court referred the first offender for the Alcohol Monitoring Program in January. Oriana House has started the program with Akron Municipal Court and hopes to expand to other jurisdictions. The offender pays all costs involved with the SCRAM unit.
Iiams cites the reputation and success of programs at Oriana House as a reason AMS is particularly happy about the partnership. "Oriana House is one of the country's most prominent community corrections and treatment agencies, and SCRAM is revolutionizing the way courts manage every level of alcohol offender. We look forward to a strong partnership with Oriana House and the Akron Municipal Courts."
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