SCRAMx Alcohol Anklets are New Focus for Sheriffs, State and Federal Agencies

LITTLETON, Colo., Jan. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to increasing demand from segments of the corrections market for their SCRAMx alcohol monitoring system, Denver-based Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc., (AMS) has formed a new Strategic Accounts division, focused on providing a delivery model for their technology to state and federal agencies and sheriff's departments, while growing strategic Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partnerships within emerging new markets.

SCRAMx (which stands for Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor) is an alcohol testing system that includes an anklet, worn 24/7, that samples an offender's perspiration every 30 minutes to ensure compliance with court- or agency-ordered sobriety. SCRAMx also incorporates RF (or home detention) monitoring in the same bracelet, giving SCRAMx the ability to meet the multiple monitoring needs most agencies have for managing offenders. John Hennessey, vice president of Strategic Accounts for AMS, has been named to lead the new division.

SCRAMx has monitored 164,000 offenders in 48 states since 2003. Focusing predominantly on Hard Core Drunk Drivers (HCDD) and domestic violence offenders, SCRAMx monitoring has been delivered to courts and agencies almost exclusively through the company's channel of more than 100 private Service Partners across the country, which provide installation services, monitoring and fee collection at little to no cost to a court or county.

According to Hennessey, a 14-year veteran working with corrections agencies, his division will focus on delivering SCRAMx direct to agency customers and partnering with best-in-class OEMs for services such as GPS tracking solutions, transitioning SCRAMx from a single alcohol monitoring solution to a multi-service solution. "This model is a substantial benefit for many agencies because it allows them to choose a single contract with RF, GPS and 24/7 alcohol monitoring from the companies—and the technologies—they trust the most," says Hennessey. "For AMS, this approach ensures that we can maintain our laser focus on the alcohol offender and continued advancements to our alcohol monitoring technology," he adds.

The Contra Costa County (California) Sheriff's Office was one of the first in the country to integrate SCRAMx directly into their existing GPS monitoring program, and according to Hennessey, the results underscore the value of the new Strategic Accounts division. "The trend in corrections is the use of alternative custody programs, and the ability to select technologies based on reliability and reputation is essential," says Contra Costa Lieutenant Brian Kalinowski, who estimates that his agency's use of the system in lieu of incarceration is saving Contra Costa County up to $2.7 million annually. "Our model will make it easier for sheriffs to sanction repeat alcohol offenders to 24/7 alcohol monitoring within their custody alternative programs, meaning tougher sanctions on Hard Core Drunk Drivers in their communities," adds Hennessey.

About Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc.

Established in 1997, Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. (AMS) is the world's largest provider of Continuous Alcohol Monitoring technology. AMS manufactures SCRAMx, which uses non-invasive transdermal analysis to monitor alcohol consumption and integrates home detention monitoring into a single anklet. SCRAMx fully automates the alcohol testing and reporting process, providing courts and community corrections agencies with the ability to continuously monitor alcohol offenders, increase offender accountability and assess compliance with sentencing requirements and treatment guidelines. AMS employs 123 people across the U.S. and is a privately-held company headquartered in Littleton, Colorado.

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SOURCE Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc.