According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 75% of all cases of domestic violence (DV), the victim perceives the abuser to be under the influence of alcohol. But while the majority of domestic violence incidents involve alcohol, monitoring these high-risk offenders to ensure physical separation between the victim and the offender is essential. That includes continuously monitoring DV offenders for compliance with protective orders and substance abuse treatment.

Thanks to a growing focus on domestic violence issues over the last few decades, there has been a surge in the development of domestic violence courts throughout the U.S., with more than 350 currently operational. Safety and offender accountability are key, and agencies require flexible options in monitoring technologies in order to customize the type of accountability that is appropriate for these high-risk offenders.

SCRAM in Domestic Violence Programs

SCRAM Systems integrated monitoring platform, which allows agencies to intensify or decrease supervision easily, is proving to be a key tool for DV programs. The ability to utilize any type of location or alcohol monitoring in one, integrated platform is ideal for programs managing high caseloads and large dockets.

Case Study

SCRAM CAM Provides Sober Days and Rehabilitation in Illinois 16th Judicial Circuit

Aurora, IL – Kane County is one of the five “collar counties” comprising the Chicago metropolitan area, with Aurora as the largest city within the County. In 2007, Kane County instituted its very successful SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring program, becoming the third Illinois county to leverage CAM technology to more effectively manage alcohol offenders (particularly in the areas of DUI and Domestic Violence), help reduce jail overcrowding, save taxpayer dollars, and better protect its citizens.

Domestic Violence Statistics

• 2/3 of victims who suffered violence by an intimate (a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend) report that alcohol was a factor
• In an astonishing 3 out of 4 incidents of spousal abuse, the offender is reported to have been drinking
• Nearly 7 out of 10 alcohol-involved incidents of violence occurred in a residence. Of those, 20% involved the use of a weapon
• Of the 1 million violent crimes each year that are termed intimate partner violence, more than 750,000 involved alcohol