our call to harris County District attorney & sheriff
In Harris County, a dynamic network of social justice nonprofits dedicated to criminal justice reform, reentry services, and immigrant justice is working to reshape the local justice system and reducing harm to those affected by it.
We are united in our mission to address the systemic barriers, reduce recidivism, promote equitable treatment, reduce harm, and center root issues in our approach.
Together, we are working to dismantle the barriers that perpetuate cycles of incarceration, advocate for policies that support reentry, and foster a community environment that welcomes and supports individuals as they live their lives, ultimately contributing to a more just Harris County.
To enhance community engagement and transparency, we call on the District Attorney's office in Harris County to implement a series of initiatives:
Community Engagement Town Halls:
Hold quarterly town halls with the District Attorney and senior staff.
Ensure accessibility through considerations such as language, cultural competence, and convenient timing.
Aim to gather valuable community input.
Reducing Community Interaction with the Carceral System:
Dismiss charges for low-level offenses.
Emphasize the use of pretrial release, diversion programs (with a focus on avoiding plea deals and dismissals), and other non-punitive sentencing alternatives for both adults and young individuals.
Strive to minimize incarceration rates.
Data Transparency:
Regularly publish statistics on prosecution, including monthly counts of misdemeanor and felony cases, disposition data, pretrial incarceration rates (categorized by offense), and average bonds for different offense classes.
Create a monthly dashboard detailing the use of cite and release by law enforcement, categorized by race, ethnicity, and gender.
Immigration Policies:
Establish internal policies and share them publicly to ensure the non-prosecution of cases related to illegal entry (SB4 - 88S4) and mandatory minimums (SB4 - 88S3).
Prioritize the safety of migrant and immigrant communities.
Budgetary Focus:
Advocate for freezing budgets related to law enforcement, courts, and prosecution, with exceptions for medical and jail staff pay.
Allocate funds to support holistic, public health-focused approaches, addressing areas such as housing, health, education, and economic opportunities to enhance public safety.
Reproductive Healthcare:
Commit to internal policies preventing the criminalization of community members seeking, assisting, or providing reproductive healthcare, including abortions.
Domestic Violence Response:
Reallocate funding from the District Attorney budget to establish a first responder model for domestic violence calls.
Protective Orders Enhancement:
Update the protective orders process to automatically qualify victims for a 2-year protective order if they qualify for an emergency protective order.
Automatically qualify children for protective orders.
We call on the Harris County Sheriff's office to implement a comprehensive set of measures to enhance community engagement, public safety, and the well-being of county jail residents. These initiatives should include:
Community Engagement:
The Sheriff and senior staff will conduct quarterly community engagement town halls across Harris County.
These town halls will be accessible in terms of language, cultural competence, and timing to ensure robust community input.
Photo ID Acceptance:
The Sheriff's office will recognize the Harris County Enhanced Library Card as a valid form of photo identification.
Cite and Release:
The Sheriff's office aims to increase the use of cite and release for qualified incidents, streamlining certain legal processes.
Budgetary Focus:
Advocate for freezing budgets related to law enforcement, courts, and prosecution, with exceptions for medical and jail staff pay.
The goal is to redirect funds towards holistic and public health-focused approaches, addressing housing, health, education, and economic opportunities.
Professionalization of Detention Officers:
Elevate the standards for county jail detention officers by requiring a two to four-year degree related to sociology or mental health.
Increase the salary of detention officers without expanding the overall Sheriff's budget.
Immigration Policies:
Establish internal policies and share them publicly to prevent the enforcement of SB4 (88S4) - illegal entry and SB4 (88S3) - mandatory minimum, prioritizing the safety of migrant and immigrant communities.
End all remaining contracts between Harris County and ICE.
Protective Custody and Segregation Oversight:
Implement a publicly viewable public meal log system for those in protective custody.
Establish a system allowing for mandatory daily video calls for residents in protective custody or segregation.
Body Cameras and Accountability:
Enforce a mandatory policy for all county jail detention officers to wear and activate body cameras during work hours.
Establish accountability measures, particularly in cases involving excessive force against county jail residents.
Alternative Measures and Workshops:
Host regular workshops with civil court judges and restorative justice-centered advocates to explore alternatives to jail for non-physically violent violations of protective orders.
Mental Health Services:
Develop a virtual counseling application providing on-demand mental health counseling for county jail residents via electronic tablets, available 24/7.
Medication Logging:
Implement a system mandating the logging of physical signatures of county jail residents after receiving prescribed medication.
Ensure the log is regularly updated and publicly viewable for five years.
Housing System Reforms:
Create housing systems that separate those accused of non-violent allegations from those with violent offenses.
Implement measures to prevent housing non-gang-affiliated residents with gang-affiliated individuals, holding accountability for any mistakes.
Civilian Oversight:
Establish a civilian-led oversight system to investigate closed grievances filed against county jail detention officers by residents and their family members.
Needs Assessment Partnership:
Collaborate with Texas Southern University to conduct a needs assessment, identifying the educational, social, mental, and economic needs of county jail residents.