Nodaway County on cutting edge of defense against DWI

Nodaway County is making headway in the fight against DWI offenders by using SCRAM bracelets.

Probation Officer Steve Marshall administers the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) program in Nodaway County.

SCRAM bracelets offer continuous alcohol monitoring solutions for judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and probation officers.

A SCRAM ankle bracelet –– the heart of the SCRAM system –– is attached to the DWI offender with a durable, tamper-proof strap. It is worn 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the duration of the offender's court-ordered abstinence period.

Twice an hour, the bracelet captures transdermal alcohol readings by sampling the insensible perspiration collected from the air above the skin. The bracelet stores the data and, at pre-determined intervals, transmits it via a wireless radio-frequency signal to the SCRAM modem.

To date, 12 SCRAM bracelets are in use in Nodaway County  –– 34 additional bracelets in the surrounding northwest Missouri area. Marshall is in charge of 46 SCRAM bracelets in all.

The bracelets come at no cost to the courts. Marshall rents or leases the bracelets to offenders at the cost of $10 a day –– if they have a home telephone –– $11 if they do not.

Marshall said judges will sometimes allow the bond for offenders to be reduced so they can better afford to pay for the SCRAM program –– they can afford to stay sober.

"I think the bracelets are very effective tools in the fight against driving while intoxicated," Marshall said. "It's a great tool in controlling the number of people being injured by drunk drivers. It is the number one thing promoting sobriety at this time –– especially in Nodaway County. Our level of control is higher than the national level."
Marshall fits the offenders for the bracelets –– checks them for fit and comfort.

"I don't want them to be uncomfortable," he said. "We want the offenders to wear them. They're not to take them off. We will know if they do."

Nodaway County Prosecuting Attorney David Baird said the SCRAM bracelet program is something fairly new in Nodaway County –– they have only been used in Nodaway County for about two years.

"A lot of other states mandate DWI offenders to wear the SCRAM bracelets," Baird said.

"That's how we first learned about them. We now use them as a part of the plea offers when a DWI offender goes through the court system. It is the only way to monitor whether or not the offender is consuming alcohol when they are out on bond."

"When we couple the SCRAM bracelet with jail time, we hope to get around six months of sobriety from the offender," he continued. "We have a better chance to fix the problem that way. Before using the bracelets, an offender could consume alcohol and, if it wasn't smelled on them, nobody would know. The bracelets monitor the offenders 24 hours a day."

Judge Glen Dietrich said he believes the SCRAM bracelets provide an effective way of telling if someone who is out on bond or probation is using alcohol.

"It seems to be fool proof," Dietrich said. "They may find a way to get around them in the future, but for now I believe they are working well."

Dietrich said the signals sent through the bracelets can distinguish between rubbing alcohol or after shave lotion as opposed to someone who has consumed alcohol.

Dietrich said he uses the bracelets as a condition for probation for DWI offenders. They are ordered to wear the monitor 60 to 90 days.

"A great percentage of our first time offenders we don't see again," he said. "They are required to wear the bracelets when they are out on bond. If they consume alcohol, they will have to sit in jail until their case is solved. I believe the bracelets are a great way to address the problem of driving while intoxicated."

SCRAM uses scientifically-proven continuous transdermal alcohol monitoring technology –– meaning it measures alcohol through the skin. Because SCRAM continuously monitors offenders –– as often as every half hour around the clock –– it is a much more effective and reliable alternative to random testing methods or incarceration.

According to the alcohol monitoring website, alcohol has been found to be a contributing factor in a high percentage of crimes, especially violent ones. Incarceration has proven to be highly ineffective in addressing the root cause of the addictive behavior and most offenders, upon getting out of jail, go right back to previous behaviors.

To find more information about the SCRAM bracelet program, log onto the website at www.alcoholmonitoring.com.