In July 2014, the Mayor of London’s Office for Policing and Crime implemented a pilot program requiring alcohol offenders to wear the SCRAM CAM alcohol-monitoring device. The pilot program was conducted over 12 months in the boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark and Sutton (South London Local Justice Area). During the 12-month pilot 113 people were monitored for an average of 75 days. The Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement (AAMR) had a compliance rate of 92% according to the Mayor’s Office. The program was well received throughout the courts and by offenders required to undergo alcohol monitoring through the SCRAM CAM bracelet. The pilot program was successful enough to be extended an additional six months beginning January 2016.
The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) began the high profile release of the AAMR program on July 31, 2014 believing that alcohol was a major factor in many violent crimes and drunk driving related offenses. The hope was that mandatory sobriety would curtail the rise in these crimes. The MOPAC based their program off of the successful 24/7 Sobriety Program in South Dakota, which reported a decrease in repeat drunk driving offenders. SCRAM CAM technology did not disappoint. London has decided to extend the use of the alcohol-monitoring device. The program received positive feedback including most offenders appreciating the time to reflect on their alcohol consumption. Read the full report from the Mayor of London’s Office for Policing and Crime on the Alcohol Abstinence Monitoring Requirement.
