Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 08/10/2009

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Terry Menshek (707) 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Brian Davis (707) 565-1343 Linda Connelly, President/CEO LCA (415) 546-5222

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

PRESS CONFERENCE
Thursday, August 13, 2009
2:00 PM
Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office
Community Room
2796 Ventura Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

SCRAM — CONTINUOUS ALCOHOL MONITORING PROGRAM

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua is determined to reduce drunk driving in Sonoma County. In partnership with California Human Development (CHD), a local non-profit, and Leaders in Community Alternatives (LCA), a Bay Area community corrections organization, a new program is being implemented today to continuously monitor multiple DUI offenders, and others whose crime is driven by alcohol. Participants will be placed on SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor) ankle bracelets which measure alcohol every thirty minutes through the skin. The program will be housed at CHD offices in Santa Rosa.

District Attorney Passalacqua said, “Implementing this program will increase public safety, while holding individuals accountable for their behavior. I am committed to preventing habitual drunk drivers from destroying lives. One way to reduce this sort of crime is the introduction of a proven technology, such as SCRAM.”

CHD’s President, Michael Micciche, said, “California Human Development is pleased to be working in partnership with the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office and LCA in this new criminal justice venture. The SCRAM program is complementary to other alternative justice programs that CHD offers the community.”

SCRAM will be used for multiple DUI offenders, domestic violence cases and in family court where alcohol abuse is a concern. While most participants will be court ordered, others may voluntarily participate to demonstrate sobriety. The program is funded entirely by participants, at no cost to the County, and will allow defendants to remain in the community, working, paying taxes and supporting their families while addressing their alcohol dependency.

According to Linda Connelly, President of LCA, and a 35-year veteran in criminal justice and substance abuse recovery, “We have had great success with SCRAM over the last six years. SCRAM helps alcoholics practice and maintain sobriety in their everyday environment. Until now, there has not been a viable mechanism to monitor alcohol use.”

Lynn Darst, Victim Advocate for Sonoma County MADD said, “It is comforting to know that Sonoma County has implemented a program to deter repeat DUI offenders from continuing to put innocent people at risk of injury or death. My daughter-in-law was killed by a six time convicted DUI driver, a crime that is 100 percent preventable.”

According to the Century Council which compiles DUI/DWI statistics, more than 200,000 people are arrested for drunk driving in California each year. Nearly 1,200 are killed each year in alcohol-related accidents. 77 percent of those involved repeat drunk drivers with a blood alcohol content of 0.15 or higher, nearly twice the legal limit. The SCRAM program is a significant step toward lowering those figures in Sonoma County.

About Leaders In Community Alternatives, Inc. (LCA)
Leaders in Community Alternatives, Inc., a San Francisco headquartered criminal justice organization, has been providing community-based services to courts and public agencies for the last 18 years. Linda Connelly is its founder and President.

About California Human Development (CHD)
CHD, founded in 1967, is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) providing human services in Northern California. Their purpose is to help low-income people secure education, training, job opportunities and improved social conditions. They also offer training for individuals with disabilities and criminal justice services.

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua will host a Press Conference on Thursday, August 13, 2009, to introduce SCRAM. Also present will be Linda Connelly, President of LCA, and other officials to describe the program.