About Us

ABOUT US

HISTORY

Justice Forward was founded as a Social Justice Task Force in 2003 by members of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church. The organization was incorporated as an independent nonprofit, the Harris County Drug Court Foundation, in 2006. Our original mission was to help individuals with non-violent, addiction-related offenses who participated in and graduated from Harris County’s STAR Drug Court to return to society and lead productive lives by funding various additional support services. Between 2006 and 2020, HCDCF provided services to over 700 individuals.

In 2020, Harris County Drug Court Foundation became Justice Forward as we expanded our mission to work with all 18 Harris County Specialty Courts, and grew again to support two Galveston County Specialty Courts and three Fort Bend County courts in 2022. As the first Strategic Alliance Initiative of its kind in Texas, Justice Forward is a collaborative effort to assist all Specialty Court clients become healthy and productive members of their communities. The clients we serve are veterans, those who struggle with substance abuse disorders, individuals with mental health issues, as well as juveniles involved in human trafficking and gang activity. Our innovative program provides funds for transitional housing, counseling, employment and education assistance and other essential services that contribute to lowering recidivism rates and increasing family reunification rates, and in the process delivering fiscal savings to Texas taxpayers. Serving as a model for the nation, Justice Forward promotes collaboration among the courts as well as shared community resources.

HISTORY

Justice Forward was founded as a Social Justice Task Force in 2003 by members of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church. The organization was incorporated as an independent nonprofit, the Harris County Drug Court Foundation, in 2006. Our original mission was to help individuals with non-violent, addiction-related offenses who participated in and graduated from Harris County’s STAR Drug Court to return to society and lead productive lives by funding various additional support services. Since 2006, HCDCF has provided services to over 700 individuals.

In 2020, Harris County Drug Court Foundation became Justice Forward as we expanded our mission to work with all 18 Harris County Specialty Courts. As the first Strategic Alliance Initiative of its kind in Texas, Justice Forward is a collaborative effort to assist all Specialty Court clients become healthy and productive members of their communities. The clients we serve are veterans, those who struggle with substance abuse disorders, individuals with mental health issues, as well as juveniles involved in human trafficking and gang activity. Our innovative program provides funds for transitional housing, counseling, employment assistance and other essential services that contribute to lowering recidivism rates and in the process delivering fiscal savings to Texas taxpayers. Serving as a model for the nation, Justice Forward promotes collaboration among the courts as well as shared community resources.

MISSION

Justice Forward breaks the cycle of incarceration and funds essential programs for individuals in Houston-area Specialty Courts to help them become independent and productive members of our community.

LEADERSHIP

CEO/President Devon Anderson

Devon Anderson has devoted her career to public service. She is a former Harris County District Attorney and a former presiding judge of Harris County Drug Court #4. She was the founding director of Probation Works, a nonprofit supportive organization that assists adults on probation in Harris County and previously served as chairman of the board of the Harris County Drug Court Foundation. She has extensive experience working with the media, recovery organizations and the nonprofit world and has demonstrated the ability to develop and maintain a strong external network of relations with a diverse group of stakeholders over her 25 years of experience. She continues her career in service as the CEO/President of Justice Forward.

Board of Directors
- Deborah Keyser, Board Chair
- Martha Araujo-Barrera, H.E.B.
- Cathy L. Easter, Houston Methodist
- Ned Evans, Evans and Evans Investments
- Dr. Kathy C. Flanagan, Psychiatrist
- Saundria Gray, Shell
- Kayla Hansen Heap, Main Street Capital Corporation
- Patrick Keegan, Partners
- Cathryn Martinez, Calpine
- Rev. Patrick Miller, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
- Eric Reed, The Reed Law Firm
- Phillip Schneidau, Woodbranch Management, Inc.
- Ashley Smith, The Macquarie Group, Ltd.
- Kathleen Spangler, Unite Us
- Paula Sutton, Morgan Stanley Wealth
- Donna Tyler, Veritex Community Bank
- Jill Williams, Real Estate Trustee
Court Alliance Council
This advisory body is made up of representatives from each of the court groups. They submit requests for assistance on behalf of their clients, meet quarterly to share best practices and resources and provide court updates to the Board of Directors.
- Keith Liles, Program Manager and Clinical Director, STAR Drug Court (Harris Co.)
- Kelly Barron, Special Project Coordinator, Juvenile Specialty Courts (Harris Co.)
- Drue Gaines, Program Director, Felony Mental Health Court (Harris Co.)
- Mashala Dixon, Supervisor, SOBER Court (Harris Co.)
- Sara Barnett, Program Coordinator, Veterans Treatment Court (Harris Co.)
- Tamisha Laster, Program Director, Positive Pathways Family Drug Court (Harris County)
- Monica Jones, Program Director, HOPE Drug Court and the Felony Mental Health Court (Galveston Co.)
- Marilyn Carpenter-Lewis, Program Director, Felony Mental Health Court (Fort Bend County)
- Jasmine Dotson, Program Director, CORE Court (Fort Bend County)

LEADERSHIP

Devon Anderson

Devon Anderson’s career has been devoted to public service. She is a former Harris County District Attorney and a former presiding judge of Harris County Drug Court #4. She was the founding director of Probation Works, a nonprofit supportive organization that assists adults on probation in Harris County and previously served as chairman of the board of the Harris County Drug Court Foundation. She has extensive experience working with the media, recovery organizations and the nonprofit world and has demonstrated the ability to develop and maintain a strong external network of relations with a diverse group of stakeholders over her 25 years of experience. She will continue working as a leader for the people of Harris County in a new capacity as the CEO/President of Justice Forward.

Board of Directors
- Deborah Keyser, Board Chair
- Alvin Byrd, Deputy Chief of Staff, District J
- Marcia Chaney, PDV Special Events
- Mary Covington, Co-Founder, STAR Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Court
- Ken Newberry, Newberry Architecture
- Eric Reed, The Reed Law Firm
- Rima Salti, Pepperoni, Inc.
- Paula Sutton, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
- Donna Tyler, BBVA Compass
- Kathleen Spangler, Vinson & Elkins
- Rev. Patrick Miller, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
- Jill Williams, Real Estate Trustee
Court Alliance Council
- Keith Liles, Program Manager and Clinical Director, STAR Drug Court
- Kelly Barron, Special Project Coordinator, Juvenile Specialty Courts
- Tamisha Laster, Program Director, Positive Pathways
- Jeanette Kolarik, Program Director, Felony Mental Health Court
- Keayon Adams, Supervisor, SOBER Court
- Sara Barnett, Program Coordinator, Veterans Treatment Court
- Raymie Harrell, Special Programs

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Justice Forward has relationships with many local organizations providing transitional living and counseling services. These include the The Council on Recovery, H. E. B., Houston Recovery Center, The Salvation Army, Mercy Street, Chapelwood United Methodist Church, Mercy Street, The WorkFaith Connection, Angela House, Open Door Mission, Santa Maria Hostel, Harris County RIDES, Dress for Success and The Star of Hope.

TESTIMONIALS

"By providing funding, thought leadership, and community outreach for these essential alternative judicial processes, Justice Forward plays a pivotal role in making our local criminal courts system more humane and effective. The organization addresses the underlying addiction of non-violent offenders and offers hope for recovery and a better life. And it does so with dignity.”

Bob Newhouse, donor

"We have had a number of individuals who were positively impacted by Justice Forward and now work for us as counselors and recovery coaches. Because they have been where our current clients are, they are able to really connect with them. Their passion to help others is heart-warming, and I hear from them over and over again how participation in the Specialty Courts and support from Justice Forward allowed them to be the productive community member they are today.”

Nadine Scamp, CEO of Santa Maria Hostel

"In December 2012 I was accepted into STAR Drug Court. I knew that if I did not accept this opportunity, I would be continuing to feed a 30-year substance use disorder and be right back into human trafficking. STAR Drug Court held me to a level of accountability and integrity that promoted my drive for a new way of life, even if I did not know what that picture looked like. While in STAR Drug Court and after its completion, Justice Forward assisted me with drug treatment, supportive housing, counseling and scholarships to continue my education.”

Lillian Stephens, former client

FAQs

What is a Specialty Court?

A Specialty Court is a problem-solving court designed to address the root causes of criminal activity and child neglect by providing a judicially supervised, individually crafted probation with mandated treatment. Specialty Courts bridge the gap between the justice system and therapeutic approaches for participants with drug dependencies, mental illness, and/or other societal challenges. Clients receive innovative and intensive individualized supervision by the court team and treatment providers. These courts employ a graduated system of incentives and sanctions to reward and re-direct behavior and encourage participants to attain education and employment goals. Each client’s goals are discussed and monitored to ensure success in both completing the program and conquering underlying issues. Learn more about the mission of each of the Specialty Courts we serve here.
How does Justice Forward work with Houston-area Specialty Courts?

Justice Forward is an independent nonprofit and is not operated by the counties we serve nor their court systems. We work closely with all 18 Harris County Specialty Courts as well as courts in Galveston and Fort Bend counties by providing funds for a variety of support services for clients in and graduates of the programs, filling gaps between the court-mandated activities and successful independent living that will help to ensure sobriety and/or success. Funds for support services for this population are not available from other sources.

Specifically, Justice Forward provides funds for counseling and recovery coaching, transitional housing, tuition assistance, and transportation among other services. We work with many local community organizations that offer these services and have established a system for providing grants and stipends for individuals working toward successfully returning to live in the community.
What is Justice Forward’s success rate?

Since its founding in 2006, Justice Forward, has provided services to hundreds of individuals. Recidivism rates for this total population include the following:

Total within 1 year — 85 individuals (12.3%)
Total within 2 years — 132 individuals (19.2%)
Total within 5 years — 187 individuals (27.2%)
Total recidivists — 208 individuals (30.2%)

These rates of recidivism are impressive and much lower than the national norm. A study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2014 found that drug offenders were the second most likely group to reoffend (after property offenders); 76.9 percent of drug offenders released in 2005 were rearrested within five years, nearly half of those within the first year of release. Justice Forward’s work with the population of non-violent drug offenders is producing much lower recidivism rates than the national rates cited by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
How do Specialty Courts select their clients?

Participation in Specialty Courts is voluntary. Clients can be referred to the various programs by their attorneys, the presiding judge, the prosecutor, the probation officer, or Child Protective Services. Each court program performs an assessment of candidates to determine their suitability for the program and their individual needs.
How does Justice Forward process grants and make funding decisions?

Grant requests for transitional housing, counseling, transportation and other basic needs are made on behalf of clients by their court representative. Each set of courts has a representative who liaises with Justice Forward leadership. Those requests are divided into two categories: Discretionary Grants requesting goods or services costing less than $10,000; and Major Grants, which involve services valued at $10,000 or more.

Discretionary Grants are reviewed and decided on promptly by the CEO/President and the Chair of the Board. Major Grant requests are placed on the agenda of the next Board meeting and considered and voted on by the Board of Directors. Grants are funded on a first-come, first-served basis.

A separate process is in place for requests involving tuition assistance and workforce training fees. Clients apply directly to Justice Forward by filling out the appropriate application found on this website. The completed application is emailed to CEO/President Devon Anderson. The same categories regarding the amount of the request as described above apply to these grants as well.
How can I help?

We are currently redefining our volunteer assistance program. Some ways to help include offering venues for sober events, providing gift cards for incentives, mentoring graduates, providing internships for our juveniles, and hosting an awareness session to share our mission with your friends and affinity groups.
Can I donate to one court in particular?

Yes. On our donation page, there is a drop-down menu that has a list of the courts we support, as well as a “general operations” option. This allows you to direct your contribution to the court program of your choice or to the continued operation of Justice Forward.