Justice Forward Expands to Support Galveston County Specialty Courts

Today, we are excited to announce that Justice Forward will provide support to participants in Galveston County's two specialty courts, which serve individuals with drug and alcohol addictions and mental health issues. Justice Forward is the first strategic alliance of its kind in Texas, and with the expansion to Galveston, we will further the organization's mission to break the cycle of incarceration and help specialty court clients become independent, productive members of the community.

“We have seen the inarguable impact that collaboration between courts and community resources can have on the health and happiness of the individuals we serve,” said Devon Anderson, CEO and President of Justice Forward. “We are looking forward to extending our support to the Galveston County Specialty Courts as they redefine the traditional justice system — reducing recidivism, improving public safety and transforming lives in the process.”

Specialty courts help individuals with drug dependencies, mental illness and/or other societal challenges avoid incarceration by focusing on rehabilitation and introducing therapy-based solutions into the criminal justice system. Justice Forward supports specialty courts in Harris and Galveston Counties by funding a variety of support services for clients in and graduates of the programs, filling gaps between the court-mandated activities and successful independent living to ensure sobriety and/or success. Essential services and incentives funded include counseling, recovery coaching, job coaching, transitional housing, transportation vouchers, gift cards and scholarships for tuition assistance, workforce development training and testing fees.  

The Galveston County court system includes two specialty courts: HOPE Drug Court, a court-supervised treatment program for non-violent, repeat drug offenders with an addiction to drugs or alcohol; and Mental Health Court, which connects eligible defendants with community-based mental health treatment and assigns them to community-based supervision.

“Our partnership with Justice Forward will advance the Galveston County HOPE Drug Court program’s mission to reduce recidivism, improve public safety, reduce costs associated with incarceration and re-arrest, and to allow the substance abusing offender to return as a productive and successful member of the family, workforce, and community overall,” said John Ellisor, presiding judge, HOPE Drug Court.

“The Galveston County Mental Health Court’s charter is to improve the quality of life for people with mental illness charged with crimes and make more effective use of the community’s limited criminal justice and mental health resources,” added Judge Wayne Mallia, presiding judge, Felony Mental Health Court. “We are extremely grateful for Justice Forward’s vision and commitment to expand to Galveston County and give us their vital support in accomplishing our mission.“

Galveston County Specialty Courts have proven successful in addressing the root causes of substance abuse, mental health issues and other specific needs to ultimately change clients’ behavior since they were founded in 2012. Justice Forward will be able to amplify that impact by connecting clients with funding and recovery resources.