Department: County Administration
Department Head/Elected Official: Leah Barton, Deputy County Administrator
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Contract - Amendment
Project ID (if applicable): 24GEN0336
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): Texas Appleseed
MWDBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWDBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWDBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request for approval of an amendment to the agreement between Harris County and Texas Appleseed for the Fines and Fees study to add a Data Use Agreement.
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Background and Discussion:
In 2021, Purchasing and the Justice Administration Department (JAD) initiated a Request for Offers to identify a vendor to study and report recommendations regarding the imposition of fines and fees associated with criminal offenses, the consequences of unpaid fines, the use and consequences of cash bail in pretrial detention, and disparate enforcement or impact of such practices on low-income individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, and any other vulnerable groups. Texas Appleseed was selected as the vendor, and the service agreement between Harris County and Texas Appleseed was approved on July 14, 2022.
The service agreement is now being amended to include a Data Use Agreement that details the specific data elements that will be shared and analyzed to complete the study. The agreement also includes considerations related to data use, access, and confidentiality.
Expected Impact:
The findings of this study and resulting recommendations will be an asset in advancing Harris County's strategic objective to reduce racial, ethnic, and economic disparities in the criminal legal system.
Alternative Options:
If the data use agreement is not approved, Texas Appleseed will not be able to complete the requested study.
Alignment with Goal(s):
X Justice and Safety
_ Economic Opport...
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