SCRAMx is more commonly used with repeat DUI/DWI offenders, but can also ordered on first-time offenders who have aggravated circumstances like an extremely high blood alcohol content (BAC). Courts may order DUI/DWI offenders on SCRAMx to not only deter them from drinking – and driving – for a specified time period, but also to assess their alcohol dependency levels to recommend individualized courses of treatment.
Key objectives of the SCRAMx DUI/DWI Program include:
- Protects the public by monitoring DUI/DWI offenders 24/7
- Ensures compliance with court-ordered terms of alcohol abstinence
- Promotes enforceable accountability
- Provides evidence-based data to support abstinence
- Assesses the offender’s alcohol dependency and drinking patterns
- Detects if the offender drinks prior to trial to facilitate early intervention
- Helps offenders prove extended sobriety to be considered for driver’s license reinstatement
- Allows the offender to maintain job and family obligations, and contribute positively to the community while awaiting trial
With regard to placing DUI/DWI offenders under house arrest in addition to alcohol monitoring, data from NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Facts 2008 shows how this approach makes perfect sense from a public safety standpoint. According to NHTSA, the prime hours for alcohol-impaired fatal crashes are between 9:00 pm and 6:00 am – the highest (64%) being from midnight to 3:00 am. Knowing that some of their higher-risk offenders may backslide during the evening hours, judges can impose curfews during that time to keep them off the roads and better protect the community.
When is house arrest used on DUI/DWI offenders? Find out »
In dealing with DUI/DWI offenders, house arrest may be added at the discretion of the supervising authority based on:
- Offender risk levels
- Agency supervision strategies
- Non-compliance while on the SCRAMx device
- Compliance with more restrictive technologies
- Other situations where increased accountability and public safety are valued
