Why You Need an Alcohol Monitoring Program
Alcohol abuse is a contributing factor in thousands of crimes committed in the U.S each year. COVID-19 and social-distancing protocols have only added to alcohol-related crimes. Alcohol sales increased 21% from June 2019 to June 2020, along with violent crime. Commonly associated with drinking and driving traffic fatalities, research proves that alcohol is an integral part of most crime. The influence of alcohol and addiction creates problems at every level of the corrections process; therefore, it’s important that agencies have an effective alcohol monitoring program in place.
Scope of Alcohol-Related Crimes in the U.S.
Many individuals end up in the criminal justice system because they committed crimes while intoxicated:
• 1/3 of traffic-related deaths are alcohol related
• 25-50% of assaults involve alcohol
• Over 60% of domestic violence accounts report the perpetrator had been drinking
• Nearly 40% of child abusers have admitted to being under the influence of alcohol during the abuse
• 30%- 40% of reported sexual assaults, including rapes, are committed by a perpetrator under the influence
Benefits of an Alcohol Monitoring Program
Alcoholism is a progressive disease, and while incarceration may stop the use of alcohol, often times it does not cure the addiction. While on probation or parole, many individuals continue to struggle with their addiction, and this often contributes to reoffending. In other cases, parolees or probationers may avoid criminal activity, but their addiction makes it difficult to comply with sentence requirements. A variety of proven technology alcohol detection solutions are available to monitor individuals under community supervision.
An effective alcohol monitoring program can:
• Enhance public safety
• Ease jail overcrowding and it’s cost to the taxpayer
• Help individuals pay for their own treatment and monitoring
• Enhance treatment efforts
• Address the needs of low- to high-risk individuals
Transdermal detection for high-risk participants: BI TAD® , or Transdermal Alcohol Detector, continuously monitors for alcohol consumption through a noninvasive skin sensor worn on a client’s ankle. TAD also includes radio frequency monitoring capabilities so clients can be monitored for curfews and alcohol use with the same device. See how it works
Mobile Monitoring for low- to high-risk participants: The BI SL3® handheld alcohol detection device enables individuals to submit BrAC tests discretely while they work, attend school, and live in the community. Equipped with LTE technology to support next-generation alcohol monitoring, this breathalyzer is a discreet yet powerful solution. See how it works.
Read our White Paper to learn how to implement an alcohol program in your agency.
Strengthening Communities Through Innovation
Available through OMNIA Partners, Public Sector, BI Incorporated offers government agencies a complete continuum of reliable electronic monitoring technologies and services for low- to high-risk community-based offenders. Electronic monitoring is a safe, cost-effective, and efficient way to monitor offenders as they live and work in the community.
For more than 40 years, BI Incorporated has delivered innovative products and services that offer an alternative to incarceration for community corrections agencies supervising parolees, probationers, or pretrial defendants.
“Preventing Violence in American Cities with Safer Alcohol Sales.” de Beaumont Foundation. Accessed August 4, 2021. https://debeaumont.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SaferAlcoholSalesReport2021.pdf.
“Alcohol-Related Crime.” Addiction Center, June 16, 2021. https://www.addictioncenter.com/alcohol/alcohol-related-crime/.