Continuous alcohol monitoring devices to enhance home detention

People on home detention programs in Buckeye for DUI charges will soon be eligible for a continuous alcohol monitoring program. City council voted unanimously on July 1 to approve the city code amendments, opening the option for those with high-risk alcohol use sentenced to home detention.

"Before the amendment, Buckeye’s home detention program allowed certain DUI offenders to serve part of their sentence under home detention, with random alcohol testing as the method of compliance monitoring," according to information provided by Buckeye Municipal Court Judge John Burkholder and Public Information Officer John O'Halloran. "The Court can now require a person on home detention to wear monitoring equipment that detects if the person has consumed any alcohol while on home detention, rather than relying solely on random testing."

Home detention monitoring has been an option in the city since 2010. Burkholder and O'Halloran said the new wearable equipment will "provide the city prosecutor and the Buckeye Municipal Court with additional tools for dealing with high-risk alcohol offenders."

The city has not yet selected an equipment provider. According to Scram Systems, one large market provider, the equipment acts as a "breathalyzer for the ankle." The devices conducts 24/7 transdermal alcohol testing through perspiration every half hour. According to a 2017 study in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal, 81% of the 100 continuous monitoring program participants reported the bracelet aided in alcohol use reduction with 75% reporting they would wear the equipment longer than the study's duration. There were 94 equipment tampers detected during the study, with 56% of those tampers involving alcohol use. The study concluded, however, that the program appeared to be useful for "voluntary substance abuse treatment participants for an extended duration."

According to the amended code, an individual does not quality for the home detention program if they pose a risk to self or others, if they have a history of violent behavior or if they are charged with a domestic violence, prostitution or solicitation offense. For those eligible, jail time must be served initially before qualifying for home detention or continuous alcohol monitoring programs. All costs are covered by the individual with an initial fee of $150 for the equipment and $28 per day for the duration of the program. Fees may be adjusted depending on the equipment provider selected by the city.

"The continuous alcohol monitoring program benefits the Buckeye Municipal Court by offering a new tool to manage alcohol-related offenses, ensuring compliance with abstinence orders, particularly for DUI cases," reads city documents. "It is cost-neutral for the city, as the participants cover all expenses."