Government
BY MELISSA ENAJE
Harris County approves $10M for criminal courts An estimated $10 million comprehensive reform initiative aimed at advancing quality and eciency within Harris County’s district criminal courts was unanimously approved by county commissioners at an Aug. 6 meeting. The plan, spearheaded by Precinct 4 Commis- sioner Lesley Briones, will invest in ve areas,
Voter registration initiatives approved By a vote of 4-1, Harris County commis- sioners approved a voter registration pilot program aimed at increasing total voter turnout numbers at elections, including among marginalized and working-class communities. Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey cast the dissenting vote at the Aug. 6 court meeting. The breakdown Carried out across multiple county depart- ments, the program includes: • Developing an unregistered voters map • Hiring a vendor to assist with voter outreach eorts • Implementing a text-to-register program and other registration pilot programs
including updating court technology and further reducing the criminal court backlog, while also providing bilingual assistance and mental health support services to defendants. Funding for the project will come from a combination of capital improvement, general and American Rescue Plan Act funds, according to Briones’ oce. Expanding mental health support along with the jail-based competency restoration program will result in jail population reduction, District Court Judge Lori Gray said in a news release.
Harris County criminal district court active cases
While the number of criminal district court cases has decreased since 2022, the new investments are meant to further the momentum and address justice barriers that could delay the life cycle of cases.
0 50K 40K 30K 20K
49,513
29,579
Jan.
Dec.
Jan.
Dec.
Jan.
July
2022
2023
2024
SOURCE: HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURTSCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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