With tight government budgets, technology can provide courts and law enforcement with an alternative to incarceration. A recent example comes from this week’s CTIA MobileCON conference where Numerex announced its role in developing a wireless ankle bracelet.

Today, Numerex Corp., www.numerex.com, announced its collaboration with AMS (Alcohol Monitoring Systems Inc.), www.alcoholmonitoring.com, and the development of continuous alcohol monitoring products. Numerex says it provided advisory and design services to create an M2M wireless solution for the SCRAMx system.

The wireless ankle bracelet provides the ability to hold offenders accountable by remotely downloading the data via the cellular network. The tech measures alcohol use without the need for a phone line or Internet connectivity. The SCRAMx system leverages Numerex network services, including a full range of wireless network options for M2M network connectivity including 2G, 3G, and 4G GSM and CDMA services, as well as satellite.

The bracelets allow for abstinence monitoring, accountability, community safety, and lower incarceration costs, among others.

In the future, AMS plans to develop a remote breath alcohol device for lower-risk alcohol offenders, which will include facial recognition, cellular, location, and breathalyzer technology. Numerex will assist with certification testing of the device, which is anticipated to come to market in early 2013.