Missoula, MT – Located in the mountainous region of western Montana, Missoula County is primarily rural, with a population of approximately 110,000 residents spread throughout 2,600 square miles. The Missoula Municipal Court started using SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring to address its DUI issue after local media ran several stories about a specific court with a reputation for “taking it easy” on alcohol-related crime.
How is SCRAM CAM Being Used?
Currently, Missoula Municipal Court uses SCRAM CAM on DUI defendants who are out on bail and meet these criteria:
- All 3rd and subsequent DUI charges
- All 1st and 2nd DUIs with BACs of 0.15 or greater
- All offenders under the age of 21
- Anyone charged with a criminal DUI offense who picks up another DUI or alcohol-related charge while out on bail
- Any other case that the Court deems appropriate for SCRAM CAM monitoring
Most SCRAM CAM participants in Missoula Municipal Court are ordered to be monitored for a minimum of 90 days, must complete required alcohol classes, and must pay all fees and fines before completing the program.
However, offenders have the opportunity to shorten their time to 60 days if they meet the following requirements, which further motivates their compliance and willingness to undergo treatment:
- No violations while on SCRAM CAM
- Compliance with the Court and its local provider, Compliance Monitoring Systems
- Enrollment in a court-approved treatment program
- Completion of court-ordered assessment, education and, in some cases, out-patient treatment
Outcomes
Driven by these provisions, the 60-day monitoring incentive is proving effective. While the alcohol program calls for a minimum of 90 days on SCRAM CAM, the average monitoring duration is only 78 days. During their commonly reduced monitoring periods, the Court’s Sober Days rate indicates that offenders overall are fully compliant (no confirmed drinking or tampering) for 98.9% of the days that they are monitored.