The City of Bothell in Washington is situated just outside of Seattle is nestled between two universities and has a young population. A rise in drunk driving arrests caused concern for Judge Michelle Gehlsen. She began requiring defendants to wear SCRAM CAM bracelets on all second or subsequent offense drunk driving incidents and all first-time offenses that have .08% or higher BAC. The SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitor is tamper-proof providing accurate readings of alcohol consumption. If a participant does not download the report or attempts to tamper with the device, a non-compliance report is generated and a new charge is filed against the defendant.
Requiring drunk driving defendants to participate in the SCRAM CAM program has significantly curbed non-compliance. 99.6% of defendants participating in the program remain sober for the duration of their monitoring. The strict guidelines increase offender accountability and ultimately increase public safety. Successful programs are being implemented across the United States reducing DUI recidivism.