Citation

Vanlaar WGM, Robertson R, Simpson HM. J. Offender Monit. 2007; 19(2): 26-28.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Civic Research Institute)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Testing for alcohol use by measuring the amount of alcohol excreted through the skin--transdermal alcohol testing (TAT)--is becoming an increasingly popular means for improving public safety by monitoring compliance with court-ordered sanctions among a variety of offenders. Significant advances in the technology leading to the manufacture of transdermal alcohol bracelets in the 1990s have facilitated its use in monitoring a variety of offender populations including driving offenders, domestic violence offenders where alcohol is identified as a contributing factor, illicit drug offenders who often return to alcohol when they are being actively tested for illicit drugs, underage drinking offenders who demonstrate reckless behavior, adults with substance abuse issues who are responsible for supervision of minors, and licensed, practicing professionals with substance abuse problems. Given the growing interest in the technology of TAT, it is increasingly necessary to provide the safety community with an overview of the principles underlying this technology, information on its reliability and accuracy, and results from pilot tests about the performance of TAT bracelets in the field. Concurrently, it is important to share with professionals the potential criminal justice applications that are available and ways that this tool can enhance the supervision of offenders.