Ankle Bracelets Monitor Offenders' Alcohol Use

Many judges order drunk drivers and other offenders not to use alcohol, but such orders can be hard to enforce even with drug testing. In Florida, however, judges are using ankle bracelets that monitor alcohol use at all hours of the day and night, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Dec. 28.

The bracelets work by sampling perspiration for signs of alcohol use; testing results are communicated via the Internet. "So far, so good. So far, I've been pretty pleased about it," said Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge Charles Burton. "Probably every judge's worst nightmare is [the defendant] goes out, starts drinking again, and something horrible happens. It's another level of security, and more importantly, it's a good deterrent for an offender."

The bracelets, called SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor), have been used in Florida DWI and domestic-violence cases. They are made by Colorado-based Alcohol Monitoring Systems Inc. and cost $100 each to set up and $12 a day to operate.