The Harris County Drug Court Foundation, Success Through Addiction Recovery (STAR) Program is an alternative to incarceration for long term drug addicts who have been arrested for a drug or drug related offense. The intensive treatment along with the supervision of a caring team of Court professionals ensures the best success for recovery. The STAR Program has a lower recidivism rate than the traditional criminal court system and results in a 50% savings for taxpayers.
In July 2020, the Harris County Drug Court Foundation (HCDCF), founded in 2003 to fund various support services for Harris County STAR Drug Court clients and graduates, announced its new name and
redefined mission. The newly minted Justice Forward expanded its support to all 18 Harris County Specialty Courts, the first strategic alliance of its kind in Texas. 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.
In 2023, Justice Forward expanded again, to Fort Bend and Galveston counties, adding TX to the website address, indicating its greater reach.
Formation of the Harris County Drug Court
The Harris County Drug Court Foundation began as a Social Justice Task Force in 2003 by Emerson members and incorporated as a tax exempt organization in 2006.
Emerson provided more than $78,000 in seed money for the formation of the Foundation and has continued to support the Foundation. Emerson’s Share the Plate contributions funded Peer recovery coach training for graduates of the STAR program. This coaching has been validated as an important aspect for the success of addicts’ recovery, breaking the cycle of incarceration.
Specialty Courts Served by Justice Forward
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, with offenders receiving innovative and intensive individualized supervision and support from the court team and treatment providers. In Harris County:
- STAR Drug Court
- SOBER Court
- Veterans’ Court
- Felony Mental Health Court
- and four Juvenile Specialty Courts