Primary Department: District Attorney
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Sean Teare
Secondary Department: Choose an item.
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official:
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Discussion Item
Project ID (if applicable):
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable):
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable):
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable):
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable):
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A - Not a grant item
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request for approval of $7,572,208 in funding to pay for critical operation needs through the end of FY25.
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Background and Discussion:
Following the transition of new leadership under District Attorney Sean Teare, the administration conducted a comprehensive review of the office’s structure, operations, and organizational health. This review identified critical gaps that must be urgently addressed to be able to operate at full efficiency and ensure meaningful justice impact, as envisioned by this administration.
In light of the gaps, the DAO has prioritized its resource needs to strike a balance between financial efficiency and justice impact. The resource ask is being made to align with the following priorities:
• Prioritize experienced leadership as the first order of business to build a strong operational framework and a culture of reform based on data, transparency, and fairness.
• Prioritize resources and initiatives for effective Jail Population Management.
• Prioritize resources and initiatives that will generate cost savings and have a positive system-wide impact.
With these efforts that we have worked hard to diligently kick off since January, we are already starting to see measurable improvement. We have also refrained from hiring unless absolutely critical. However office is now at a pivotal point where additional resources are necessary to address the deficit, sustain progress, accelerate further reforms, and efficiently administer justice in Harris County.
Details:
DA Teare’s administration began with budgetary shortfalls stemming from multiple sources. The first was a budget offset of $6 million due to the prior administration’s noncompliance with the budget process. Although $4.5 million of the $6 million was restored to DAO’s FY2025 budget on Jan 1st, the office is still left with a shortfall of $1.5 million. This is because there were no labor reductions last year to offset the $6M cut, and those expenditures are committed for a year. The second factor was donations amounting to $2.7 million during the last fifteen months of the prior administration. Finally, there was also an overestimation of the FY2025 special revenue fund’s budget, resulting in a $1.5 million reduction.
Despite these financial difficulties, the District Attorney’s Office has forged a promising path forward. Some of the notable accomplishments include intake model changes, impact on jail population reduction of ~6% since January 2025, and clearance rates of over 100%. This path will lead to long-term cost savings for the County.
This supplemental budget request is essential to addressing critical staffing shortages and expanding key initiatives that directly impact public safety and justice.
A portion of the funding will be used to fill existing vacant positions that have remained unfilled due to budget constraints. These positions are vital to core functions across the office, including Intake, Grand Jury, Cyber Crimes, Human Trafficking, and Child Exploitation. Additionally, securing this funding will allow the office to bring in a summer class of law school graduates-an investment in developing the next generation of prosecutors who will strengthen the justice system for years to come.
This request also supports the expansion of personnel in high-impact areas such as Mental Health, Diversion, Domestic Violence, Digital Forensics, and Vehicular Crimes. Mental health and diversion efforts are particularly urgent as they are critical to managing the jail population and reducing recidivism. The diversion program is undergoing a comprehensive overhaul to align with best practices, driving systemic change with long-term benefits.
Furthermore, bolstering resources for domestic violence cases is a top priority, ensuring stronger victim support and more effective prosecution. Expanding Digital Forensics and Vehicular Crimes units will enhance investigative capabilities, improve case resolution efficiency, and support targeted interventions for vulnerable populations.
The District Attorney’s vision for administering justice will bring Harris County to the forefront of fairness, equity, crime prevention, and efficiency. It will reduce the jail population and enhance case processing. This year is critical for laying the foundation for meaningful change within the office and setting the stage for impactful system wide justice reforms over the next 2-3 years.
Expected Impact:
With additional funding to fill critical staff positions, the District Attorney’s Office will direct efforts to enhance operational efficiency by reducing backlogs and jail population management. Approving this request will have a direct impact on the jail population with the goal of eventually eliminating jail outsourcing. As mentioned before, the jail population is down 6% since January 1, 2025. The County will experience faster resolutions, improved case management and better allocation of resources. By strengthening strategic areas such as mental health and diversion the office can offer more targeted interventions, further reducing the number of individuals incarcerated and providing alternatives to incarceration, where appropriate. These improvements will not only support a more efficient justice system but also contribute to long-term public safety by addressing the root causes of crime and promoting rehabilitative solutions.
Alternative Options:
If Commissioners Court approves only a partial or none of the requested funding, the District Attorney’s Office will face significant operational challenges. As noted, this administration started off with a significant budget constraint. Such a budget shortfall leads to the inability to hire creating a gap in staffing. This gap in staffing will impede our ability to address increasing caseloads, to reduce backlogs and to enhance case resolution efforts. Over time, this would result in inefficiencies, slower processing times and an inability to fully support crucial initiatives aimed at reducing jail population and improving public safety outcomes.
County Strategic Plan Goal: 1. Make Harris County safer and more just.
County Strategic Plan Objective: E: Increase efficiency across the legal system.
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): B4: Increase the jail deflection and diversion rate.
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): Choose an item.
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): Choose an item.
Health Initiative (Goal 4): Choose an item.
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): Choose an item.
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): Choose an item.
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan:
Prior Court Action (if any):
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Precinct(s): Countywide
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Fiscal and Personnel Summary |
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Funding Sources |
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Existing Budget |
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Total Existing Budget |
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Additional Budget Request (Requires Fiscal Review Request Form) |
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1000 - General Fund |
$7,572,208 |
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$7,572,208 |
$18,288,600 |
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Total Additional Budget Request |
$7,572,208 |
$ |
$7,572,208 |
$18,288,600 |
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Total Funding Sources |
$7,572,208 |
$ |
$7,572,208 |
$18,288,600 |
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Grants - Proposed Budget (For Grants Items only) |
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Non-Labor |
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No. of Grant Years |
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Local Match Source - Existing Budget: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
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Local Match Source - Additional Budget Request: Choose an item. |
$ |
$ |
$ |
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Grant Funds Applied for/Awarded (Total) |
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$ |
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Personnel (Fill out section only if requesting new PCNs) |
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Current Position Count for Service |
901 |
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Additional Positions Request |
40 |
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Total Personnel |
941 |
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Anticipated Court Date: 4/10/2025
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): Click or tap to enter a date.
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster, or COVID-19 related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Chandler Raine, First Assistant, DAO
Attachments (if applicable): N/A