Court hears jail population drop and backlog data; appoints new judge for Criminal Court at Law No. 12

Harris County administrators reported on June 26 that the county jail population has declined from a fiscal-year high of 9,905 to 8,807 (June 1 snapshot), and that several indicators of case movement have improved. County administration and criminal-justice stakeholders told the Commissioners Court this week that felony dispositions have increased in recent months and that the number of people in custody more than 1,000 days has fallen.

“Meaningful progress has been made in reducing the jail population, particularly dispositions of felony cases, which are currently drivers of the jail population,” County administration managing director Tonya Mills told the court in a presentation. Mills said average daily population in early June was about 8,840 and that the number of backlog cases—defined as cases pending more than 365 days—has dropped compared with 2024 levels.

Mills and public-safety staff highlighted several ongoing strategies aimed at sustaining reductions: (1) expanding court capacity by adding afternoon jail dockets for targeted judges; (2) expanding the public defender’s office so more cases are handled by salaried defenders rather than private appointment counsel; and (3) hiring and training additional detention officers so the county can reduce reliance on outsourced correctional staffing.

“Until such time as the public defender’s office is able to take a higher percentage of cases, jail population reductions and case dispositions will continue to rely more heavily on private appointment attorney appointments,” Mills said. The court’s discussion also touched on evidence-processing delays, DNA and ballistics laboratory turnaround, and the need for better invoice cadence from private counsel to improve forecasting and oversight of indigent-defense costs.

Sheriff’s leadership and county staff said the Sheriff’s Office has sent new officer classes to the academy and expects additional graduates in the weeks ahead. The sheriff’s office said it believes it can make significant reductions to outsourced correctional staffing by the end of this calendar year if recruitment and training continue on the current pace.

Separately, the court took action on a judicial appointment. By motion and second, the court appointed Ashley Mays Geis to the vacant judgeship of Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 12, effective July 7, 2025. The appointment follows an earlier top-staff reorganization in the public-defense office. The court directed the Office of County Administration and Human Resources to complete the administrative steps necessary to place Geis on the bench.

Court members and stakeholders emphasized the need for continued monitoring of misdemeanor bookings (a rising trend) so gains on felony disposition do not get offset by increases in lower-level bookings. The court asked for regular follow-ups on afternoon-docket pilots, hiring progress for detention officers and a closer review of indigent-defense invoicing practices so the county can better forecast and manage related costs.