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Officials to develop plan for sobriety center

Joe Olivieri

1 min read

Published March 24, 2014 at 12:00 a.m. CT

Photo by Joe Olivieri

City and Travis County leaders will develop an implementation plan for a sobriety center.

During its March 11 meeting, Travis County Commissioners Court approved a resolution authorizing staff to work with the city of Austin on the project.

"The sobriety center concept was first implemented in the 1950s to provide intoxicated individuals a safe haven from the risks of being intoxicated and vulnerable in public," according to the county.

The center would act as a tool to divert some people arrested for public intoxication away from the jail system. During the 2013 fiscal year, more than 3,700 people were arrested for public intoxication in Travis County.

"Our hope is that by looking carefully at what other cities and counties have done, we will be able to figure this out in a way that enables the city and county to work together and deal with intoxication offenses in a way that is not only more effective and humane but also costs less to the taxpayer," City Councilman Chris Riley said.