Restorative Justice

In April 2018, The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office launched the Homeless Diversion Court Program. The DAs Office partners with shelters and resource centers who serve the homeless community. The shelters and resource centers identify individuals (17 years and older) who are experiencing homelessness and actively working with a service provider to address their housing condition but have been hindered by their arrest history and/or pending criminal charges.

Once identified, potential participants are referred to the District Attorney’s Office to be considered for the Homeless Diversion Court Program. If the individuals meet certain criteria, they will be invited to participate in the Homeless Diversion Court Program where they will be challenged to complete an individualized treatment program created by a case manager and attend sessions in Homeless Court to discuss treatment progress. If the participant successfully completes his or her individualized treatment program and attends the required Homeless Court sessions, his or her pending criminal charges will be dismissed and the arrest record may be expunged. Since April 2018, 75 participants have enrolled in the program. For more information contact Lyndi Brooks at 214-653-3600 or via email lyndi.brooks@dallascounty.org.

In addition to the DA funded and DA driven specialty courts AIM and SET, there are other treatment courts that have been established in Dallas County. Instead of putting addicted people behind bars, these courts invite treatment providers into the courtroom to try a public health approach. Treatment providers develop evidence-based treatment plans and the judge—working as a team with law enforcement, probation, defense, and prosecution—provide the support and strict accountability necessary for the treatment plans to be successful. The success of drug courts has spawned a generation of programs now focused on treatment rather than incarceration. Dallas County now has treatment courts that serve not only drug offenders but also repeat DWI offenders, offenders with mental health issues, juveniles and young offenders ages 17-24, women involved in prostitution and veterans struggling with the lingering effects of trauma.

Following is a list of the different specialty courts in which the District Attorney’s Office participates: