Every September, National Recovery Month shines the spotlight on the millions of individuals working to overcome a substance use disorder. For corrections professionals, it is also an opportunity to examine how drug and alcohol misuse continue to impact supervision, reentry, and recovery efforts across the criminal justice system.
Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that approximately 65% of the U.S. prison population has an active substance use disorder, while another 20% were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of their offense. Overdose remains the leading cause of death among individuals returning to the community from jail or prison
Recovery and Public Safety Are More Connected Than Ever
When substance use disorders contribute to violations, instability, and reoffending, effective recovery support becomes part of a broader public safety strategy.
This perspective has encouraged many agencies to move beyond isolated interventions and toward more comprehensive supervision models that integrate accountability, treatment engagement, support services, and ongoing monitoring.
From Reaction to Response
One of the biggest shifts in community supervision is the growing emphasis on earlier intervention. Relapses and violations are often preceded by measurable changes in behavior, engagement, or compliance.
The challenge is not collecting more information. It is identifying meaningful changes early enough to support a timely and appropriate response.
Better Information, Better Outcomes
Studies examining alcohol monitoring programs have reported reductions in reoffending of up to one-third when compared with traditional approaches. The benefit is not the data itself. It is the ability to identify risk, support accountability, and make informed decisions.
What Compliance Data Doesn’t Always Reveal
A violation, failed test, or new arrest creates a clear data point. However, progress is often less obvious. Treatment engagement, employment stability, and stronger support networks appear gradually over time.
From alcohol monitoring to emerging forms of transdermal drug detection, agencies have more options to gather objective information. Such tools can provide additional context around behavior, risk, and progress, helping officers and case managers make decisions based on more than a single compliance event or violation.
How BI Supports Earlier Intervention and Informed Supervision
Alcohol use remains a significant factor in many supervision populations, making alcohol monitoring an important component of recovery-focused supervision.
BI SoberTech™ supports agencies seeking visibility into alcohol use while offering clients discretion. This remote breath device supports accountability while fitting into everyday supervision and recovery strategies.
BI TAD® provides continuous transdermal alcohol monitoring and objective data for situations where ongoing visibility into alcohol-related behaviors is required. That information can help supervision professionals identify patterns, document compliance, and respond more effectively when concerns arise.
Together, these solutions provide agencies with flexible options for incorporating alcohol monitoring into broader supervision and recovery strategies.
Moving Forward, Together
BI is proud to partner with corrections agencies, officers, and community providers as they work to strengthen accountability, advance recovery efforts, and promote long-term public safety.