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New Mexico Sees Success with SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring

Across the State of New Mexico, counties have been implementing sobriety requirements in their courtrooms.  To monitor a defendant’s sobriety, many jurisdictions have turned to SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor) ankle bracelets.  These devices monitor alcohol consumption 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in participants.  In the Third Judicial Drug Court, out of Las Cruces, New Mexico, they have invested $25,000 to equip defendants with the alcohol monitors.

The court looked to other jurisdictions who had seen success using the devices.  In San Juan County, they have a 99.3% compliance rate for participants in the program.  This means that those wearing the continuous alcohol monitor were completely sober for the majority of the reporting period.  Taos County also touted a 98% completion rate according to ABC-7 KVIA reporting.

Courts like the Third Judicial District have been using alcohol monitoring devices such as the SCRAM ankle bracelet as an alternative to jail time.  Participants are able to continue with their normal lives, going to work and tending to their family, while being held accountable to their sobriety. The use of the devices has also saved taxpayers significant amounts of money.  Participants in the program are not sitting in a jail cell which ultimately costs the taxpayers.  The cost to monitor a participant wearing a SCRAM device is significantly less than it would be to detain that same person.