On August 6, Commissioners Court unanimously approved to move forward with implementing Commissioner Briones’s court resources package. This critical investment, developed by Commissioner Briones, will target points in the life cycle of a case that are delayed by several factors, such as defendants missing their court cases, mental health or competency case challenges, and a lack of cohesive management systems and practices within the courts.

Part of the approved resources included the allocation of $2.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. This funding will bring on six additional Associate Judges and support staff positions to the Criminal District Courts to continue the County’s progress in reducing the court backlog. Over $325,000 was also approved to upgrade Criminal District Court room technology.

Building on her efforts from last year in helping bring six new Criminal District Courts to the County, Commissioner Briones expressed how the additional court resources will optimize the entire justice process – from modernizing outdated court room technology, to ensuring defendants get their day in court by sending court date text reminders.

“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Commissioner Briones said. “These inefficiencies and delays are unacceptable for victims, defendants, for the lawyers who practice in our courts, the judges, court personnel. We can do better. This five-pronged [approach] will double down on the investments we have [already] made...all of us...deserve justice that is fair, impartial, and efficient.”

A speaker at the Court mentioned the ability of an expanded Community Assistance Referral Program, part of Court Resources investments, to offer defendants resources with finding housing, food resources, rehabilitation referrals, and more.

“Unlike most of us who have a home, a place to go, a family, a support system, [when they are released from jail,] most of these individuals are trying to get by with the bare minimum,” the speaker said. “The CARP program provides them with tangible referrals and resources so that when they walk out, they have a direction. We are looking at reducing recidivism [and] trying to link these individuals with the community resources available to them...on the felony side.”

Commissioner Briones worked directly with Criminal District Courts, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, advocates, organizations, and all levels of government to bring forward these critical reforms.

Judge Te’iva Bell, who presides over the 339th District Court, expressed support of the investment and its capacity to further expand the County’s Jail Based Competency Restoration Program, which provides critical mental health services that helps those who are mentally unfit to stand in their own defense at trial.

As of 2023, over 2,000 individuals booked in the County jail are incapable of standing trial. In addition to rising mental health issues and longer treatment wait times, those with competency issues have a length of jail stay that is twice as long as that of the general jail population, increasing their stays by 17% since 2020.

“The [Jail Based Competency Restoration Program] has had a high success rate,” Judge Bell said. “They are faster to get the people treatment, and they are more likely to come out of that program to not reoffend. It works. So, allocating an additional 30 beds is imperative to streamlining the process and making sure justice works for everyone, including the people that find themselves in jail because mentally there’s something going on that’s outside their control.”

Here are some of the recently approved items.

Upgrade Outdated Technology: Some court technology has not been upgraded in over 10 years, causing disruptions in court proceedings. The County approved over $325,000 to address immediate technological needs, such as server upgrades, courtroom monitors, and data storage technology. The funding will also be used to enhance cybersecurity and improve disaster recovery.

Improve Court Appearance Rates: Various socioeconomic factors and informational barriers can prevent people from showing up for their court dates. To address this, Harris County has expanded bilingual text message and other forms of reminders to alert felony defendants of upcoming court dates. The County is also partnering with the Harris Center to help defendants appear in court through transportation assistance and personalized phone calls.

Sustain Associate Judges and Support Staff: The use of Associate Judges has helped reduce the court case backlog, which has decreased by over 62% since its peak in 2022. The County is increasing funding for the Associate Judges program through October 2025 to continue decreasing the court backlog.

While a third motion was passed at the August 6th Court to track the progress of the implementation of the court resources initiatives, the Court will return at a later date to vote on the remaining court resources investments that were discussion only:

Increase Mental Health Support Services: To stand trial, people need to be able to understand the charges they are facing and assist in their own defense. The number of individuals deemed incapable of standing trial has increased by nearly 40% between 2020 and 2023. The average length of stay in jail for these individuals has risen by 17%.

Commissioners Court approved $1.2 million at the July 15th Court to provide additional psychologists and psychiatrists to address over 800 competency case evaluations that are in the court backlog. Additionally, Harris County is enhancing resources for the Jail Based Competency Restoration Program and streamlining operations to provide specialized care and support. 

Streamline Case Management: When court dates are delayed, cases take longer to resolve, keeping victims and defendants from having their day in court. In July 2024, there were 30,000 active felony cases, of which nearly 45% were over 181 days old. A data driven approach and additional support will streamline processes and improve communications to ensure timely and quality justice for all parties involved.