Updates, announcements and historical coverage from Houston Recovery Center.
Austin American-Statesman | March 8, 2014
An effort by an array of criminal justice, law enforcement and medical officials is underway to open a sobriety center — “drunk tank” to many — that would effectively decriminalize public intoxication, which over the…
Houston Chronicle | December 31, 2013
The Houston Center for Sobriety is preparing for its first New Year’s Eve in business. Leonard Kincaid, the director of operations for the center, has overseen the facility’s first year. He says tonight they will be staffing
Isiah Factor | July 24, 2013
It was back in April when the doors opened at the Houston Center for Sobriety. City leaders approved the facility because there were so many intoxicated people (1900 a year) taking up space at the jails. Mayor…
Houston Chronicle | March 15, 2013
The idea of letting the town drunk dry out behind bars is a beloved and enshrined aspect of Americana. Who doesn’t love Otis from “The Andy Griffith Show”? City budget writers, for one. Houston spends…
Houston Chronicle | March 12, 2013
Mayor Annise Parker recently announced the completion of the Houston Recovery Center renovation, home to the City of Houston’s new sobering center, which is expected to begin full operation in the next couple of…
Houston Chronicle | March 7, 2013
You don’t want to be that guy (or gal for that matter) – the one stumbling on a sidewalk after one too many martinis at your favorite watering hole. But if you insist, at least now a night in jail may not be…
Houston Mayor’s Office | March 7, 2013
“This is an innovative solution to a costly problem that diverts our police from other matters and crowds the city jail,” said Mayor Parker. “It is the first step toward the city’s long-term goal of getting out of the jail…
Houston Public Media | March 7, 2013
The facility will cost the city about $1.5 million a year to operate compared to the $6 million that’s spent right now to process public intoxication cases through the city jail. HPD makes around 17,000 public…
KTRK | March 7, 2013
The City of Houston is taking a much different approach to handling people under the influence and it will mean far fewer prosecutions for public intoxication. Officers can now take them to a so-called sobering center…
Houston Chronicle | February 21, 2013
Approved by Houston City Council last May, the Sobering Center looks to save money and time by not booking public intoxication offenders into jail, allowing officers to return to patrol more quickly. “It’s really not so much about…
Houston Chronicle | May 16, 2012
Police officers who detain people whose only crime is being drunk in public will have the option of dropping them off at the so-called sobering center for at least a four-hour stay without an arrest on their record…
Houston Mayor’s Office | May 16, 2012
Houston City Council today approved Mayor Annise Parker’s innovative plan to create a public/private partnership to operate the Houston Sobering Center. Council also approved including the Houston Police…
