Ellen Halbert Drive has a story behind the name. It winds its way around the Airport and Burnet Rodeo grounds, cuts through cedar patches and eventually comes to an abrupt end at a place which most people in our community never see. This dead-end compound with imposing razor wire fences represents a new beginning for thousands of women across the state.
The 612-bed facility is home to women who are sentenced to a drug and alcohol treatment program designed to give them tools to overcome their addictions. Most of the ladies enter the facility as first-time offenders, the judge having offered them a chance to complete the 6–8-month program in lieu of a longer sentence in prison. The Halbert women have an average of four children each.
Some are well-educated and others hope to earn their GED while completing the program. They are all eager to learn a better way of life before they return to their community.
