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Franklin County official outlines Tap In Center to help residents resolve misdemeanor warrants
Summary
Franklin County official Erica Crowley described a library-based Tap In Center that helps residents recall or resolve low-level misdemeanor warrants without law enforcement, reporting nine events and several hundred cases processed since late 2024.
Franklin County official Erica Crowley described a new Tap In Center initiative designed to help residents discover and resolve low-level misdemeanor warrants without visiting the courthouse.
"Our Franklin County municipal court has over more than 55,000 low level nonviolent misdemeanor warrants," Crowley said, and she said most stem from missed court dates or unpaid fines. She told the board she adapted the Tap In model from St. Louis County through NACo's justice initiative and the MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge.
Crowley said the county hosts Tap In events at public libraries so residents can seek help in nonintimidating public spaces. There is no law enforcement presence at the events; instead, residents call a hotline to schedule appointments (walk-ins are sometimes accepted) and are connected with partner agencies on-site. Those partners include legal aid, municipal court staff, the clerk's office, the city attorney's office and county job and family services to coordinate services such as expungement, record sealing and reinstatement assistance.
By her account, from the end of 2024 through last month the county hosted nine Tap In events. Crowley reported 261 warrants set aside, 38 cases dismissed, 720 hotline callers served, 64 residents initiating expungement or record sealing, and 63 participants completing SNAP food assistance applications on-site. She also said 77 percent of participants who received new court dates appeared for those dates.
Crowley said the program is funded with justice assistance grant dollars and relies on low-cost public spaces like libraries, arguing the approach reduces arrests, jail bookings and other downstream costs to the county. She closed by saying the county is testing reminder calls and texts, transportation supports and seasonal adjustments to reduce the roughly one-in-five no-show rate.
Crowley offered to take questions and noted that Rochelle Pride, chief of economic development and innovation, and Ernest Stockton, director of Justice Policy and Programs, were present to discuss implementation.
