What is SCRAM?

Posted Wednesday, July 5, 2017 by Andrew Charles Huff

In certain cases involving alcohol such as Driving Under the Influence charges, a judge can require defendants to wear what is called a SCRAM device while their case is pending. “Transdermal alcohol monitoring” is a technology that permits the detection of alcohol as it passes through the skin as it is eliminated from the body. The results are then monitored and reported to court officials. There are two primary devices being used for this monitoring and one is called the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM). This SCRAM device has been used longer and by more courts at this time. The SCRAM device consists of an ankle bracelet that measures transdermal concentration, stores data, then uploads the data to a modem that transfers data to computers monitored by the vendor. This information is then used to generate reports and alerts if alcohol is detected.

These somewhat bulky-looking bracelets are designed to prevent removal or tampering and any attempt to do can be detected by the vendor. This device has evolved over the years and the current version is smaller and slightly less bulky than its predecessor.

If you are required to wear this device and have a pending violation, our office can mount several challenges to positive readings such as Sweat/Blood Partition Ration and Non-Specificity for Ethanol.