Alcohol Tracking Bracelets
A new device for monitoring alcohol consumption is now widely used in America for people who have been ordered to refrain from drinking. It is hoped this system will help those recovering from alcohol addiction and having to serve a jail sentence for crimes committed while under the influence of drink.
The monitoring bracelet that is worn around the ankle was invented by a Colorado company ‘Alcohol Monitoring Systems Inc in 1997 and is the only conglomerate to offer this technology.
The use of the bracelet has spread to several areas within the court system since it began five years ago. The bracelet is fitted as part of bail conditions or while waiting for a resolution to the case. Family courts are now said to be using the bracelet in some cases where alcohol is a problem.
Data is gathered every minute via the wearer’s sweat and a reading is taken every thirty minutes. The reading is then transferred at specified times through a modem which has been installed on the wearer’s telephone line and this data is monitored by staff who will notify a probation officer if and when there is a violation. On top of all this, wearers’ are called at random by the county’s probation officers for checks.
Any products which include alcohol such as mouthwash and cologne have to be avoided while wearing the bracelet as it can register as alcohol usage. The device registers a ‘bell’ curve line if somebody has been drinking alcohol which will rise with the alcohol level in the bloodstream, and fall when the drinker gets sober.
The bracelet will also register if something has been slipped in between the device and skin or if it’s been removed.
Wear the Bracelet or go to Jail
The overcrowding of jails is helped by people wearing these bracelets as well as cutting costs that would arise with having to house alcohol related offenders.
The offenders themselves pay $10 a day to be on the program as some believe its far better then going to jail. Once such person is Mr. Mastruzzo who said although the money he’s paid over the past 22 months “could have paid for a nice vacation or a lot of work on my house, at least I have a house. I wouldn’t have that if I were in jail.”
The wearing of the bracelet is not easy as it cannot be submerged in water and many of the wearer’s do not want to wear shorts or skirts because the bracelet shows. Females are unable to wear tights or stockings as nothing can come between the bracelet and the skin.
“It is very annoying,” Mr. Mastruzzo said. “Getting dressed is a problem. I have to wear my sock below it. When I’m sleeping, it gets tangled in the sheets.”
Court officials know the bracelets work in ways that help people stay sober and to catch rule breakers, but they say there are not keeping a record on violations or keep track of those who take off the bracelet and re-offend.
He joins almost 200 people ordered by PennsylvaniaLackawannaCounty judges to wear the bracelet as part of bail conditions or as part of their punishment.
Judge Barrasse of the county’s probation office said they have had comments ranging from ‘Thank God, it saved my life’ to ‘when am I getting off this thing,’?”
“Here’s what we definitely know, though: The longer a person is in treatment, the longer they’ll be in recovery.”
One of our most successful stories is that of Mr. Mastruzzo who began drinking when he was a teenager and his problem with drinking was he did not know when to stop.
Mr. Mastruzzo said about the program ‘It saved my life’
“I didn’t drink every day,” he said. “I’d normally just stay at a bar a lot longer than I had planned to. One drink would turn into a lot of drinks.”
After his third arrest for drinking and driving in 2006 the 47 year old chef sat back and took a long and hard look at his life and realised how lucky he actually was that he never harmed anybody while he was drinking. Not knowing how long his luck would hold out he said the alcohol monitoring bracelet and regular attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have helped him to stay sober these past 22 months.
If he had not agreed to go on the program and wear the bracelet, he faced a term of up to 5 years in prison.
“I probably would have changed for a while. I don’t know how long it would have lasted,” he said. “I have an addictive personality.”
Lackawanna County judges have so far ordered almost 200 people to wear the bracelet and penalties for violations range from a warning to a stay in prison.
Bracelets for house arrest and now alcohol consumption makes us think ‘what next’ will they be used for? Maybe this could be one of the answers to the ever growing drinking problem here in the UK!