SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring) is an ankle bracelet that conducts transdermal readings by sampling alcohol vapour just above the skin or insensible perspiration. It provides continuous monitoring of sobriety. The impact of SCRAM on the rate of repeat drinking and driving offenses (i.e., recidivism) was assessed for the first two years following arrest for 837 offenders in WI (avg. 85 days on SCRAM) and 672 offenders in NE (avg. 87 days on SCRAM). SCRAM offenders, as compared to a Comparison group, recidivated (i.e. were rearrested for an alcohol offense), at higher rates in both states (7.6% versus 6.2% in WI; 9.8% versus 7.7% in NB, neither of which were statistically significant). However, there was virtually no recidivism while on SCRAM and those SCRAM offenders who did recidivate did so at a later time (360 days from original arrest for SCRAM versus 271 days for the Comparison group in WI, p<.05; 458 versus 333 in NE, p<.01). It was felt that the SCRAM population may represent a particularly high risk group of offenders (not fully controlled for in the current study) thus higher long-term recidivism was expected. However, SCRAM did delay recidivism even for this high risk group. (Author/publisher)
Abstract