Frequently Asked Questions

Typically our clients are people that have been ordered by a court to participate in a monitoring program of some kind. However, we do often accept volunteers. Volunteers are people just like anyone else that is struggling with a personal situation. There are a number of programs that volunteers and parents can use to help them in certain situations.

The more information you provide, the faster and easier the setup will be for your program. Here are a few things with which to be prepared that will make it easy:

• First and foremost your court orders (if ordered by a court)
• If you have a case manager, their name and contact information
• What technology or program into which you need to be enrolled
• If enrolling with us online, provide the best time to reach you
• Any important questions you might have
• Your initial payment for your program (costs vary depending on program)

We walk you through the expectations of each program. We give you tips on how to be successful and answer any questions you might have—and we bet you will have a lot! We explain how to use and maintain your device or technology, how you will know if we need to speak with you and discuss what our responsibilities are pertaining to reporting to your monitoring authority.

Simply we report everything—or at least all the information that your monitoring authority requires. It is important to know that TCS does not make any determination of compliance or violation. We prepare reports that identify potential non-compliance, or violations of programs and report those items to your monitoring authority. In some case, the information is automatically sent or your case managers have access to it themselves. Our staff only reports, so if you are concerned with potential non-compliance, discuss those concerns with your monitoring authority.

There is a one-time installation cost then a daily cost which we breakdown for you by week. Typically, we expect payment of the installation cost as well as four weeks of monitoring. We can work with you on reasonable payment plans.

When the SCRAM CAM Bracelet takes a reading every 30 minutes, a light buzzing sound can be heard, but is generally reported to be “discreet.”

The SCRAM Base Station can work with an analog or digital phone line. If you do not have a phone line of any kind, we have options to use your home-based Internet or a cellular device. Both have additional costs. Make sure you ask about your options when you contact us.

We recommend you avoid using any products on or near the bracelet that contain alcohol. This includes lotions, body sprays, perfumes, or colognes. The application of small quantities of these products in areas far from the bracelet should not be problematic. However, it is your responsibility to know what you are putting on, in, or near your body at all times. If you have any concerns, please contact us right away.

Please be sure to check first with the court or agency. We also recommend that you carry your paperwork that addresses your participation in a SCRAM CAM monitoring program. When passing through security, inform the TSA agent that you are wearing an electronic monitoring device that you cannot remove. The TSA agent may “swab” the bracelet and test it. However, you should be permitted to pass through security while wearing the SCRAM CAM Bracelet.

You can’t wear anything that would go between the skin and the bracelet. You can wear boots or leggings over the top, but be cautious that boots could cause the bracelet to rub and even create a blister.

We recommend that SCRAM CAM clients refrain from using any alcohol-containing products on or around the bracelet. Many clients are exposed to hair color and other similar products without any noticeable transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC detections. When in doubt, we recommend reporting the questionable activity to your supervising agency so that notes may be placed in your client record to take the activity into consideration while analyzing the data.

Kissing or engaging in any other intimate activity with someone who has been drinking has no impact on SCRAM CAM testing or results.

We are obligated to report any noncompliance to your court or agency. We prepare the necessary reports and deliver them as soon as the data is available. It is up to the court or agency if you will face any repercussions from any noncompliance.

You cannot wear a monitoring bracelet if you need an MRI. You will need to contact your supervising agency prior to a scheduled appointment to make arrangements to have the bracelet removed prior to the procedure. Your supervising agency may have additional requirements.

Exercise will have no impact to the functions of the bracelet. For comfort, you might want to wear a sweat band or a sock rolled down to prevent the bracelet from “bouncing” on the ankle bone.

No. It’s no different than your cell phone or any other jewelry you might wear.

There is a one-time installation cost then a daily cost which we breakdown for you by week. Typically we expect payment of the installation cost as well as four weeks of monitoring. We can work with you on reasonable payment plans.

• Be in a well-lit area away from direct sunlight.
  Remove hats, sunglasses/eye glasses, and any hair hanging over the face.
  Stand or sit with your back against a wall, hold your head upright, and look directly forward.
  Hold the device up to your mouth with the breath tube level with the floor.
  Blow steady and consistent until you see STOP on the Remote Breath device.

You court or program is responsible for designating your test schedule. These can be fixed tests that occur on the same time on certain days, random tests which can occur at any time, and on-demand tests that can be ordered any time. The device itself will turn on and prompt you for a test. Additionally, you can opt to have Courtesy Reminders sent to your cell phone.

The Remote Breath device powers up and connects to the network every 20 minutes to check for any updates.

AT&T3G Network. There is also an option to purchase a direct Ethernet connection for the device if you are in a poor cellular area.

Courtesy Reminders are additional reminders that can be sent to your cell phone to remind you that you have a test coming up. These are in addition to the notifications that are generated by the Remote Breath device. Only one reminder will be sent per testing period. You will be responsible for any data charges that may apply.

There is a grace period set for each court or program. The grace period is the amount of time that you have to take a test once the test has been initiated. It can be set to any amount of time the court or program wishes. Your supervising agent will tell you what settings are used for your program.

Yes. You can take a test while the device is plugged in. Just ensure that you are following all the steps for a quality picture during testing.

If there is any abnormality in your test the device will prompt you for a retest. The device will tell you what to do if this occurs. The device does not tell you if you pass or not. To ensure that you pass your tests, make sure you follow all proper testing procedures.

You are required to charge it every day. The battery light will turn solid green once the battery is fully charged. Allowing the battery to run low or die is a violation that will be reported to the court or program.

The device draws very little power from your vehicle’s battery. The amount of power it draws will not be enough to drain your battery, however, we recommend starting your vehicle daily and allowing it to run for 15 consecutive minutes every day. It is important to stay in your vehicle in case the interlock requests a repeat test.

The interlock unit will function as expected as long as your battery and vehicle are in good working order. As long as you provide a breath sample in which the interlock does not detect any alcohol, your vehicle will start without a problem.

You are responsible for all tests, whether taken by you or not. We equip your interlock and vehicle with a camera that records photos of each test. A missed rolling test will still be your responsibility, so ensure whomever uses your vehicle understands how and when tests are required.

Notify us that work will be done. Save and copy all receipts associated with the work and submit them to us with a letter explaining the work. Disconnecting the battery, even for vehicle maintenance, must be reported to the state.

An ignition interlock device will not damage your vehicle. Our technicians and service center network are supported by our in-house experts who are continuously working with new vehicles to ensure we are able to install safely in any type of vehicle.

Our interlock is designed to test your Br AC, or Breath Alcohol Content. It will detect anything that contains an alcohol molecule. If the interlock device displays anything other than 0.00, this is an indication that an alcohol molecule has been detected. Any Br AC readings may be reported to your monitoring authority.

Every time you start your vehicle you will have to supply a test in order for the vehicle’s ignition to operate. Once started, you will be prompted by the handset to take a rolling retest at random intervals. When that occurs, pull your vehicle over and supply the required test.

Retests occur randomly, even if your car is not moving. It is important to stay in your vehicle when the key is in the ignition or your vehicle is running so you know when the device prompts for a retest. You have a certain amount of time to supply the sample. Failure to do so must be reported as a violation whether you were driving the vehicle or not.

GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It uses satellites and cell networks to record and transmit the wearer’s location constantly. The device also tracks whether the wearer is at home for designated curfew hours as well as staying clear of areas in which the wearer is not permitted to go for various reasons. Any deviation of curfew or exclusionary areas triggers immediate alerts to the monitoring authority.

The small indentation is a communication verification sensor. If you receive a vibration, tone, or a voice message you can place your finger over the indentation in order to shut it off and acknowledge that you received the notification. If you do not acknowledge the notification, or you do acknowledge it but do not take the action you were instructed to take, the court or monitoring authority will continue to send alerts until you respond.

TCS or your monitoring authority can send automated or on-demand messages to your device. The device will typically provide you a warning chime that a message is waiting before it plays. Messages can let you know you need to charge your device, or that you may have to contact your monitoring authority.

We provide you a simple round magnetic charger that plugs into the wall and easily attaches to your device. You should charge at or about the same time each day, and if you do so, the device should take less than 60 minutes to fully charge. We program the devices to blink green once you achieve a full charge.

You can do your normal daily activities-go to work, school, appointments, workout, or anything else that is in your normal routine, outside of avoiding places that you have been instructed to avoid. The device is water proof, however, we do not permit them the be submerged under water.

You cannot wear a monitoring bracelet if you need an MRI. You will need to contact your supervising agency prior to a scheduled appointment to make arrangements to have the bracelet removed prior to the procedure. Your supervising agency may have additional requirements.

GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It uses satellites and cell networks to record and transmit the wearer’s location constantly. The device also tracks whether the wearer is at home for designated curfew hours as well as staying clear of areas in which the wearer is not permitted to go for various reasons. Any deviation of curfew or exclusionary areas triggers immediate alerts to the monitoring authority.

The small button is a communication verification button. If you receive a vibration or a tone, you can press this button in order to shut it off and acknowledge that you received the vibration or tone. If you do not press it, or do press it and do not take the action you were instructed to take, the court or monitoring authority will continue to send alerts until you respond.

If your GPS has a long constant vibration lasting for 30 seconds or more, that is a reminder for you to charge your bracelet. You are required to charge your bracelet before the battery gets low and this vibration is a reminder to you to do just that. Charge your bracelet as soon as possible. You can press the round acknowledgment button on the front of the G PS to stop the vibration.

You will be given a special charging cord that works only with our particular GPS bracelets. Even though the bracelet has a long battery life, you are still required to charge the bracelet for two hours each day. The charging cord is long and should provide you enough slack to be able to move around the room in which you are charging. When the bracelet is completely charged, the green battery light on top will turn solid indicating the bracelet has a full charge and you can then unplug the charger. You will know that you have successfully attached the charger when you feel a brief vibration and the green light begins to blink on top of the bracelet.

The GPS bracelet has built in two-way communication. The pulse vibration or the repeating tone are manually sent to your bracelet by the court or your monitoring authority. When you are initially enrolled in the GPS program you will be instructed as to what you are required to do in the event that either the pulse vibration or tone occur on your bracelet.

You can do your normal daily activities-go to work, school, appointments, workout, or anything else that is in your normal routine, outside of avoiding places that you have been instructed to avoid. The device is water resistant, however, we do not permit them to be submerged under water.

You cannot wear a monitoring bracelet if you need an MRI. You will need to contact your supervising agency prior to a scheduled appointment to make arrangements to have the bracelet removed prior to the procedure. Your supervising agency may have additional requirements.

Exercise will have no impact to the functions of the bracelet. For comfort, you might want to wear a sweat band or a sock rolled down to prevent the bracelet from “bouncing” on the ankle bone.

GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It uses satellites and cell networks to record and transmit the wearer’s location constantly. The device also tracks whether the wearer is at home for designated curfew hours as well as staying clear of areas in which the wearer is not permitted to go for various reasons. Any deviation of curfew or exclusionary areas triggers immediate alerts to the monitoring authority.

You will be given a special charging adapter that works only with this particular GPS bracelet. Even though the bracelet has a long battery life, you are still required to charge the bracelet for two hours each day. The charging adapter connects directly to the device without any cable or cord allowing you freedom of movement. It is strongly recommended that you do not leave your home (even if permitted to do so) with the charging adapter affixed to your device.

You can do your normal daily activities-go to work, school, appointments, workout, or anything else that is in your normal routine, outside of avoiding places that you have been instructed to avoid. The device is water resistant, however, we do not permit them the be submerged under water.

You cannot wear a monitoring bracelet if you need an MRI. You will need to contact your supervising agency prior to a scheduled appointment to make arrangements to have the bracelet removed prior to the procedure. Your supervising agency may have additional requirements.

Exercise will have no impact to the functions of the bracelet. For comfort, you might want to wear a sweat band or a sock rolled down to prevent the bracelet from “bouncing” on the ankle bone.

There is a one-time installation cost then a daily cost which we breakdown for you by week. Typically we expect payment of the installation cost as well as four weeks of monitoring. We can work with you on reasonable payment plans.

The SCRAM Base Station can work with an analog or digital phone line. If you do not have a phone line of any kind, we have options to use your home-based Internet or a cellular device. Both have additional costs. Make sure you ask about your options when you call.

The time displayed on the SCRAM Base Station is the time that your curfew and all system settings use. The time displayed is the only time that you should us to determine if you are on time for curfew.

We are obligated to report any noncompliance to your court or agency. We prepare the necessary reports and deliver them as soon as the data is available. It is up to the court or agency if you will face any repercussions from any noncompliance.

Please be sure to check first with the court or agency. We also recommend that you carry your paperwork that addresses your participation in a SCRAM House Arrest monitoring program. When passing through security, inform the TSA agent that you are wearing an electronic monitoring device that you cannot remove. The TSA agent may “swab” the bracelet and test it. However, you should be permitted to pass through security while wearing the SCRAM House Arrest

You cannot wear a monitoring bracelet if you need an MRI. You will need to contact your supervising agency prior to a scheduled appointment to make arrangements to have the bracelet removed prior to the procedure. Your supervising agency may have additional requirements.

Will it flop around and will that register as tampering?Exercise will have no impact to the functions of the bracelet. For comfort, you might want to wear a sweat band or a sock rolled down to prevent the bracelet from “bouncing” on the ankle bone.

No. It’s no different than your cell phone or any other jewelry you might wear.

Showers are permitted and encouraged as the device is water resistant, however, you are not permitted to submerge the bracelet in any way. Swimming or bathing will submerge the bracelet and any damages to your equipment will be your responsibility.