By Anayeli Ruiz
NewsWest 9
MIDLAND- A court appointed drug rehab center in Midland had to close their doors this past summer because of budget cuts. Austin cut them out of the picture but now a few months later they got some of their funding back and they're re-opening their doors.
"Back in July, we were notified that we were one of the eight or 11 residential facilities that were slated to be cut for budget cuts," Agency Director, Jed Davenport, said.
The Court Residential Treatment Center had to close their doors after their $1.2 million budget was cut. They had to let their staff go and send their residents elsewhere.
"We have had to send people since we closed our facility to Lubbock and San Angelo," State District Judge, Rodney Satterwhite, said.
The center was a court appointed rehab drug center. The people that are sent to the center are non-violent people that have drug or alcohol abuse problems.
"To go get substance abuse treatment in another county, you can't really involve their families in the treatment process. You cant involve churches or the community or support groups in the community. Eventually those folks have to come back to the community they live in," Davenport said.
Local leaders rallied together and they were eventually able to squeeze some funding from the state. About $800,000 a year is enough to house about 40 beds. Local judges are happy to be able to count on this service again.
"It allows us as judges to use this alternative to the penitentiary for treatment of folks that Midland County can control. We can try and reestablish those folks back in the community," Satterwhite said.
The center will open their doors on Thursday to start housing folks.
