Case Processing and Jail Reduction: The Implementation and Impact of Case Processing Changes in Harris County, Texas

• In Event: Issues and Challenges in Reducing Jail Populations: Lessons Learned from the Safety and Justice Challenge

Abstract

Case processing time in courts can contribute significantly to the amount of time people spend incarcerated pretrial as well as the amount of time they spend on pretrial supervision. Time spent incarcerated pretrial has been shown to affect the likelihood of conviction and guilty pleas as well as sentence length and employment prospects. Under the Safety and Justice Challenge, Harris County launched several strategies to reduce case processing time and jail use, including scheduling orders, specialized dockets, and more efficient evidence gathering. This paper presents findings from review of Harris County’s strategies and their impact using interviews with key stakeholders in county courts, state courts, and pretrial services; document review; and analysis of aggregate jail trends. This paper provides lessons learned for jurisdictions looking to improve case processing time and anticipated impact to expect based on the strategies implemented.

Authors

• Walter Campbell, Urban Institute

• Shruti Nayak, Urban Institute