JUSTICE FORWARD

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 in 2022. We added two more courts in Fort Bend County in 2023. 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 use disorders, individuals with mental health disorders, 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.