County committee approves application to tap state match for alcohol-monitoring devices for indigent DUI probationers

On July 24, 2025, the Coffee County Budget and Finance Committee voted to allow staff to apply for a state matching grant that would pay part of the cost of court-ordered alcohol-monitoring devices for indigent defendants who face a 90-day sobriety condition as part of probation.

The fund matters because it would let judges provide an alternative to incarcerating people who cannot afford required monitoring devices, while the county would initially commit a modest amount—$5,100—to secure a roughly equal state match for a combined fund of about $10,200.

Jenny Anthony, staff member, told the committee she received an email from a state program offering the matching funds and described how the devices are used as a probation condition for third (and subsequent) DUI convictions. Anthony said the devices most commonly used locally are SCRAM-style ankle monitors and that the county would likely see “20 people or less” use the fund in a year. She identified AMS as a vendor frequently used by probation and said vendors typically charge about $400 upfront and about $300 per month if someone…