Introducing Justice Forward

Under the leadership of Chair Deborah Keyser, the Foundation was doing well, but she and the Board of Directors had bigger dreams. They envisioned a fully functioning nonprofit complete with a paid staff and a much larger mission. They wanted to expand their support to clients and graduates of all 18 of Harris County’s Specialty Courts. With the success of the drug court in reducing recidivism and breaking the cycle of incarceration, this model was adopted and adapted to serve other populations. Harris County now has two Veterans Courts, five DWI SOBER Courts, and a family reunification court as well as two mental health courts. And that’s just for the adults. The juvenile court system has also embraced this effective specialty court model by establishing a mental health court and drug court, in addition to two courts dedicated to getting kids out of prostitution and gangs. These courts have had successful outcomes, but virtually no financial support for the essential “extras” that HCDCF provided.

The idea was simple: establish one fundraising organization for all 18 courts. This nonprofit would raise money to provide the essential services and programs for all of the specialty courts’ clients. Why not spread the love to benefit all of the brave and determined people who are trying their best to return to their families sober, healthy and productive?

In March 2019, the Fondren Foundation awarded HCDCF a $100,000 capacity-building grant. This allowed HCDCF to begin the process of transforming into a professionally managed nonprofit organization. Step one was to find a President/CEO. That’s where I come in. When I was a District Court judge, I volunteered to be a STAR Court judge. I became familiar with the Foundation and was impressed with its support during my tenure with STAR. During my four-year career as a defense attorney, I served on the board of HCDCF, eventually becoming its Chair. Later, as District Attorney, I supported HCDCF by attending events and donating to the cause.

When Deborah asked me if I would be interested in becoming HCDCF’s first President/CEO, I leapt at the chance. What really clinched it for me was the ambitious goal of expanding support to all 18 courts and potentially quadrupling the number of clients the organization could serve. As a defense attorney, I saw several of my clients benefit from the mental health courts, the DWI Court, and the juvenile anti-human trafficking court. I’ve seen how specialty courts work to help people get back to their lives and their families as sober, responsible members of the community. To have a job raising money for these folks and creating awareness about the benefits of specialty courts is a dream come true.

As our mission and our footprint has grown, it became clear that the Foundation needed a new name and a new brand that represents the work we are embarking on for all 18 courts and clarifies our role as an independent nonprofit that works with, but not under the auspices of, the Harris County Court System. We are committed to a forward-thinking and solutions-oriented approach to justice, so we are proud to operate from this point on as Justice Forward. We’ve got a new website, a blog, a newsletter and new social media channels to follow, plus a new look that we hope conveys the energy we feel for supporting recovery and transforming lives.

Since I came onboard in August 2019 , we have also established the Courts Alliance Council, a group made up of seven representatives of each of the Specialty Court groups who give court status updates to the Board, represent clients in their requests for funding, and share resources and best practices with each other. We now have a proper office and have been recognized as a model for the rest of the state with a generous grant from the Meadows Foundation. We have added six new energized and motivated board members. And this is just the beginning. 

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