After a DUI conviction, judges have a host of options that they can choose from when it comes to penalties. Some judges may require DUI offenders to install ignition interlock devices on their cars, and others will merely demand that the offender abstain from alcohol while on probation. If this command was simply made with no follow-up, chances that many offenders would not obey and would be back to drinking in no time. That is why law enforcement often use SCRAM bracelets to make sure that convicted parties abstain from alcohol for the designated amount of time.

SCRAM stands for Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring. These bracelets have become famous as many celebrities have sported them post-DUI. The courts will commonly order these bracelets and then issue them to offenders when appropriate. The bracelets are most commonly used in DUI cases, but they can also be used for parents in family court cases or for people accused of domestic violence due to heavy drinking. Also, children who are under the age of 21 and are convicted of underage drinking may be compelled to wear the bracelet, and some convicted drug addicts.

The court normally orders the defendant to wear the bracelet for a set amount of time. Most courts will issue an order for between 60 to 90 days. Sometimes a court will order the convicted party to wear the bracelet for up to one year as a term of probation or parole. During the time, the bracelet cannot be removed for any reason.

The bracelets are manufactured with anti-tampering features so that officers will be alerted if an individual tries to remove the bracelet for some reason. If the defendant tampers with the device or tests positive for alcohol then the court has the right to terminate probation or parole and the defendant may be placed in a prison, jail, or a rehabilitation facility for alcohol addicts.

SCRAM bracelets monitor the wearer's perspiration ever 30 minutes or so. The device is like a breathalyzer in a sense. Results are uploaded to a modem and monitored by Alcohol Monitoring Systems, the bracelet manufacturer. High level readings are then sent to local law enforcement, and the police may pay the bracelet wearer a visit to check in. Most defendants complete alcohol monitoring without an incident because the bracelet holds them accountable.

The bracelets typically cost about $50 to $100 for installation, and then there is a daily monitoring fee that varies between $10 and $15. Sometimes monthly costs after installation can cost as much as $450. This can be a hefty expense in addition to fines and other DUI costs such as towing and car impoundment.

Preliminary studies show that wearing a SCRAM bracelet for at least 90 days, when coupled with alcohol treatment, can effectively reduce the possibility that an individual will repeat a DUI offense. The SCRAM bracelets have been tested scientifically and deemed accurate. They can prove evidence of consumption or tampering and the results are accurate enough to be admitted into court proceedings. A defendant would normally have to have evidence that the device was malfunctioning in order to contest the SCRAM bracelet results.

Some defendants will argue that a SCRAM bracelet is an invasion of privacy and therefor violates civil rights laws. Yet the monitoring is normally offered as an alternative to jail or as a term of probation, therefore individuals are often more prone to accept the responsibility of wearing one of these bracelets. Courts are not permitted to prescribe a SCRAM bracelet unless the defendant has some sort of identifiable alcohol problem. If you want more information about SCRAM bracelets or want to contest a SCRAM bracelet result then contact a local DUI attorney today for assistance!