Department: County Administration
Department Head/Elected Official: Diana Ramirez
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Regular RCA
Type of Request: Financial Authorization
Project ID (if applicable): ARPA_CRTBLOG, ARPA_BODYCAMERA, ARPA_EVIDENCEMG, ARPA_IFS
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
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):
title
Request by the Office of County Administration for approval of $5,479,302 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to continue Court Backlog activities in Fiscal Year 2025.
end
Background and Discussion:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of cases in the Court Backlog, defined as misdemeanors aged over 180 days or felony cases aged over 360 days, rapidly increased. To accelerate processing of cases in the backlog, Commissioners Court approved a comprehensive set of initiatives starting in late 2021. These efforts are yielding results. Based on the ARPA PMO report to U.S. Treasury in July 2024 and Commissioners Court in August 2024, the number of misdemeanor cases in the backlog is down 71% from January 2022, while the number of felony cases in backlog status has declined by 62% in the same time period.
This funding request will allow continued funding as outlined below:
Department
FY25 Funding ($)
Sheriff (540)
1,485,162
District Attorney (545)
1,400,000
District Clerk (550)
1,268,674
District Courts (700)
111,221*
OCCM (940)
352,239
Pretrial Services (605)
306,408
Institute of Forensic Sciences (270)
282,187
Sheriff's Office (540)
273,411
Total
5,479,302
*Note: FY25 ARPA funding for District Court case manage...
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