Hawaii legislators are considering a bill to require repeat DUI offenders to wear a SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring bracelet for at least 90 days as a condition of their release. Offenders would be required to pay $360 a month for monitoring. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office supports the bill. It has been passed by the House and three Senate committees and awaits final approval with the Legislature. Proponents of the bill believe that it will save lives and make the community as a whole a safer place. In 2015 alone, Hawaii had 51 drunk driving related fatalities.
The SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring device tests for alcohol consumption every 30 minutes. It is worn 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The device is tamper-resistant and requires complete sobriety. Many jurisdictions use the device in conjunction with alcohol deterrents such as the ignition interlock device, which requires offenders to blow in the device to start their car. The focus becomes on the underlying problems of alcohol abuse, not just punishing someone for a bad choice. Many participants have a complete change of lifestyle once they are required to remain sober for an average of 90 days.