The Traffic Injury Research Foundation has released a new educational primer entitled, "Continuous Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring: A Primer for Criminal Justice Professionals." Transdermal alcohol monitoring devices are designed to continuously detect traces of alcohol in body perspiration. This useful tool allows agencies to monitor alcohol consumption among offenders with substance abuse issues. In recent years, the rapid proliferation of these devices has created a need among criminal justice professionals for comprehensive information and this primer fulfills that need. This user-friendly document, which was reviewed by representatives from the prosecution, judicial, and probation communities, provides criminal justice practitioners and treatment professionals with a comprehensive summary of the research on transdermal alcohol testing and transdermal alcohol monitoring devices. The primer contains an explanation of the only commercially available technology to date, Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM), and identifies how this technology can best be used in sentencing to enhance the supervision of offenders with alcohol issues. Also included in the primer is an overview of the type of programs that most frequently incorporate this technology, and the legal challenges that have occurred to date. (Author/publisher)
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