24/7 Alcohol Bracelets Helping to Keep Veterans Sober and Accountable

Buffalo Veterans Court Tackling Alcohol Issues With Tough Monitoring, a Touch
of Compassion

BUFFALO, N.Y., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- As the country prepares to honor its
military veterans November 11th, the Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court is
employing a high-tech tool to help keep their community's struggling military
veterans sober and accountable.

The veterans program began using the technology, known as SCRAM (for Secure
Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor), in December of 2008 in order to help
manage the epidemic rate of alcohol abuse and addiction among the combat
veterans in their court. The system includes an ankle bracelet, worn 24/7,
that actually samples an offender's perspiration every 30 minutes in order to
measure for alcohol consumption and ensure compliance with court-ordered
sobriety and treatment requirements.

The award-winning program was the first veteran-specific court in the country
to deal with the unique needs of the ever-increasing number of combat veterans
going through the criminal justice system. Under the direction of the
Honorable Robert T. Russell, the court aims to link veterans coming through
the city's criminal justice system with a full range of social services,
including drug and alcohol treatment, mental health services, medical care,
anger management, family counseling, vocation/educational services and
housing. "Substance abuse, homelessness, unemployment, mental health
problems--these issues are found in combination and in alarming numbers with
our combat veterans," says Russell. "Ensuring the sobriety of these offenders
while we address their issues is essential for long-term success and for
helping these men and women get their lives back on track, as well as
community safety," he adds.

The National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) has recently
launched a Veterans Treatment Court Clearing House in response to the
overwhelming interest in creating a veterans program from courts across the
U.S. According to NADCP, there are now 13 Veterans Treatment Courts across the
country, and with funding from the Veterans Administration, the number of
programs is expected to increase substantially in 2010.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA), 1.8 million combat veterans meet the criteria for having substance
abuse issues. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reports that 35 percent
of justice-involved veterans suffer from alcohol dependency, and the U.S.
Department of Defense reports that the rate of veteran involvement in
alcohol-related incidents, including DUI, reckless driving and drunk and
disorderly conduct, more than tripled between 2005 and 2006 alone. "This isn't
about criminality," says Mike Iiams, chairman and CEO of Denver-based Alcohol
Monitoring Systems, which manufactures and markets SCRAM throughout the U.S.
"This is about addiction. When these individuals drink, bad things happen, and
this program is redefining the way our justice system can change the course of
their lives," says Iiams.

The Buffalo Drug and DUI courts have utilized the SCRAM System since 2007,
monitoring more than 330 offenders to-date, and the Veterans Treatment Court
began using the anklets in December of 2008. AMS donated 10 units to the
Buffalo Veterans program in 2008, acknowledging what Iiams calls the "critical
importance" of the ground-breaking program. Today, veterans monitored by SCRAM
in the Buffalo program pay $6 per day for the monitoring fee, making the
program self-sustaining.

SCRAM currently monitors just over 10,000 offenders daily and has monitored
more than 115,000 offenders in 48 states since it became available in 2003.
SCRAM is used to manage and monitor drunk drivers, drug and domestic violence
offenders and underage drinkers. It's also utilized as a tool in family court,
where the determination of custody may be dependent on a participant's
sobriety.

About Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc.
Established in 1997, Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. manufactures SCRAM®, the
world's only Continuous Alcohol Monitoring system, which uses non-invasive
transdermal analysis to monitor alcohol consumption. SCRAM fully automates the
alcohol testing and reporting process, providing courts and community
corrections agencies with the ability to continuously monitor alcohol
offenders, increase offender accountability and assess compliance with
sentencing requirements and treatment guidelines. Alcohol Monitoring Systems
employs 108 people across the U.S. and is a privately-held company
headquartered in Littleton, Colorado.

SOURCE Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc.

Kathleen Brown of Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc., +1-303-785-7822,
kbrown@alcoholmonitoring.com