"Sobering center" in lieu of jail

[heightsyankee]

From a Houston City Council mailing list:

Dear Friend,

This morning the Houston City Council formally approved funding for a city sobering center - an 84-bed facility that would allow people whose only offense is intoxication to bypass jail. The center will be located downtown at the former Star of Hope Mission.

Formal approval of the center is a critical first step for the City to get out of the jail business, and to improve its approach to treating those battling mental health issues and addiction.

The sobering center will:

Provide an alternative to jail
Decrease the time a police officer is tied up in booking
Serve as a "point of access" for intoxicated individuals to be seen by licensed health care specialists
Roughly 20% of Houston's $25 million a year jail operation cost is attributed to public intoxication cases. The sobering center will not only provide citizens with the treatment they need and provide law enforcement officers more time to patrol against more violent crimes, it will save our city money.

email.netvictories.com/t/ViewEmail/r/984AE75CBD3B9DEC/79F0065CA1D1672D6E86459A008B4B98

[heightsyankee]

May 16, 2012 16:42:59 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

I don't know the dynamics of Houston well, but it seems like this will miss a lot of drunken people since people don't party downtown (and when they do party, they tend to drive, so then you're getting a DUI and the offense isn't just intoxication).

Two words: Washington Avenue

I'm surprised because this seems pretty progressive and forward thinking to me.

ETA: I think a lot of people who get arrested for public intoxication all over town (WashAve, obviously, but also Rice Village and even as far west as Town & Country probably get hauled downtown for booking. I think the location of the facility is just because the building was already there.

[UMaineTeach]

progressive... or an Andy Griffith throw back?

either way, I like it.

[curmudgeon]

Is this not common in most areas? We have one, tied directly with the mental health center, always seemed to make sense.

[Deleted]

DTs are life threatening and people who are in this type of withdrawal need to be monitored medically.

[doctorwho]

May 16, 2012 20:14:02 GMT -5 UMaineTeach said:

progressive... or an Andy Griffith throw back?

It's a classic drunk tank. :Y:

[Deleted]

May 16, 2012 22:11:36 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

May 16, 2012 21:45:50 GMT -5 @spenjamins said:

DTs are life threatening and people who are in this type of withdrawal need to be monitored medically.

Perhaps I misread but I thought the OP mentioned the intoxicated individuals being seen by medical specialists.

Missed that. We have 24 hour beds that are similar. But DTs are much different that sleeping off a one night bender. You need IV fluids and a detox.

[casmgn]

May 16, 2012 22:44:16 GMT -5 @spenjamins said:

May 16, 2012 22:11:36 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

Perhaps I misread but I thought the OP mentioned the intoxicated individuals being seen by medical specialists.

Missed that. We have 24 hour beds that are similar. But DTs are much different that sleeping off a one night bender. You need IV fluids and a detox.

It sounds like it will serve as a type of triage to get these people the medical care they need.

[loislane23]

May 16, 2012 23:31:14 GMT -5 casmgn said:

May 16, 2012 22:44:16 GMT -5 @spenjamins said:

Missed that. We have 24 hour beds that are similar. But DTs are much different that sleeping off a one night bender. You need IV fluids and a detox.

It sounds like it will serve as a type of triage to get these people the medical care they need.

We often have people in the hospital/ER that are too drunk to go to jail. Usually they sober up with fluids & sleep and are booked and released the next morning. But this doesn't sound like a detox program, just an alternative to jail/hospital.

Would this facility or others like it take health insurance? Is there a cost to the user?

[Deleted]

What does this mean "people whose only offense is intoxication"? Does that mean they are only taking people charged with drunk and disorderly? Getting charged with a DUI doesn't imply that your "only" offense is intoxication.

[loislane23]

May 17, 2012 6:53:18 GMT -5 @mjmksb04 said:

What does this mean "people whose only offense is intoxication"? Does that mean they are only taking people charged with drunk and disorderly? Getting charged with a DUI doesn't imply that your "only" offense is intoxication.

I assume it is just those who are arrested for being drunk in public. Public intoxication is a very common arrest, so I think this would be an alternative to putting them in jail and arresting them for being drunk. That's why I wonder what role the "health professionals" will play.

[Deleted]

In my county, drunk in public is not a common offense at all, We see DUIs on a much more regular basis, so that is why that is confusing to me. Is it because in that area, there is a greater homeless/transient/people who don't have vehicles so they get drunk and cause trouble/ population?

[heightsyankee]

May 17, 2012 8:13:21 GMT -5 @mjmksb04 said:

In my county, drunk in public is not a common offense at all, We see DUIs on a much more regular basis, so that is why that is confusing to me. Is it because in that area, there is a greater homeless/transient/people who don't have vehicles so they get drunk and cause trouble/ population?

No. While we have a homeless population like any other city, Houston is a major metropolitan area. We have a couple of "neighborhoods" that are essentially giant strips of bars. People call the police on dudes pissing in their yards and all kinds of stuff.

I agree the concept is old school, but for Texas I think it's pretty progressive to want to help people rather than arrest them. This could honestly save a lot of college or young professionals from having an arrest on their record.

I don't think they'll be letting DUIs sleep it off, though. Those will still be standard arrests.

[heightsyankee]

Agreed.