Solutions for DOCs

Departments of Corrections (DOCs) can use SCRAM to help ease jail overcrowding, save money, and protect the public.

As our economy continues to decline and crime is on the rise, many states are examining ways to address the seemingly mutually exclusive goals of better protecting the public—while having to manage more offenders with less money.

In most states, jail overcrowding is a growing issue and the expense of housing record numbers of people is crippling state budgets and costing taxpayers hundreds of millions—even billions—of dollars. Between 1987 and 2007, the national prison population nearly tripled. Today, 1 in every 100 adults in the U.S. is incarcerated in a jail or prison. The sheer volume of their prison populations has forced states to shift budget priorities, and many are now spending more on incarceration than on education.

One point to consider is that there is a significant link between alcohol and crime. In fact, 36% of offenders under supervision "were drinking at the time of their offense." And then there is the issue of drunk drivers. Despite the passage of laws incorporating significant jail and prison terms, Americans continue to drive while impaired (DWI) at an alarming rate because the underlying cause of the problem—alcohol misuse—is not being adequately addressed.

This is why SCRAM help state DOCs better manage their prison overcrowding situations.

Because it continuously monitors for alcohol consumption—the root cause of DWI and other criminal activity—SCRAM is one of the most effective tools that DOCs have for separating their offenders from alcohol. By keeping people sober, you're helping keep them out of your state prison system and also protecting the public from alcohol-fueled crime.

SCRAM helps state DOCs:

• Effectively and remotely monitor those offenders who are not a threat to the community when sober, and can be released under electronic supervision
• Provide a bridge to help offenders safely re-enter the community
• Ensure rehabilitation when coupled with appropriate treatment
• Allow the offenders to maintain family obligations, hold jobs, and contribute positively to the community while being monitored
• Save a significant amount of money, as it is much cheaper than jail or prison