Citing worries about potentially deceptive crime data and its effects on public opinion and policy, advocates are urging the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to make adjustments to a new public dashboard.
District Attorney Kim Ogg stated that the dashboard was debuted in October with the goal of improving justice system openness. The dashboard’s data points center on cases that are still outstanding, cases that have been dismissed, and cases that have been dismissed for lack of probable cause.
Although supporters hailed the project as a positive beginning, they maintain that more improvements are required to improve transparency, especially in the dashboard’s “bond” area, which contains information on the number of individuals freed from jail on bond who have since committed another crime.
The data, according to advocates with the Texas Jail Project, The Bail Project, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, lacks date ranges and precise definitions for categories such as “violent crime.” According to Krish Gundu, executive director of Texas Jail Project, this ambiguity may result in poor policy choices and practical repercussions for community members.
“It is extremely important to make sure that the information you are giving the community accurately depicts the state of public safety in your community,” Gundu stated. This data currently appears to be fear mongering.
Clarifying that charts displaying new charges for defendants with numerous bonds only represent offenses committed after release on bond and not previously filed cases is another suggestion. In order to provide a more comprehensive view of public safety in Harris County, advocates also suggest including a chart that contrasts annual variations in case files.
Emma Stammen, policy strategist at The Bail Project, expressed concern that these problems might be deceiving the public about the condition of public safety at the moment. Advocates and legislators lack the resources and knowledge required to promote reform and improve the pretrial system for all parties if they don’t pay close attention to precision and clarity.
In recent years, the problem of criminal activity by those on bond has been a hot topic in Harris County. “As a result of a different attitude taken by the judiciary, Ogg has accused local judges of being soft on crime throughout her tenure by not setting higher bond amounts and dismissing an increased number of cases due to a lack of probable cause,” she previously told Houston Public Media in February.
Over the past year, Ogg’s administration has worked diligently to make sure that the office dashboard is accurate, current, and helpful to the public. Any suggestions will undoubtedly be taken into consideration, and they are greatly appreciated, according to Joe Stinebaker, the DA’s office communications director.
Sean Teare, who will become Harris County’s next district attorney in less than a month, welcomed the recommendations. Before defeating Ogg in the March primary and defeating Dan Simons in the general election in November, Teare was a prosecutor under Ogg.
Teare, who ran on a platform of reform and openness, described the recommendations as “very reasonable” and stated that he thought they could be put into effect quickly.
In order to keep making this the greatest dashboard in the nation, I welcome any feedback from stakeholders or ordinary citizens, Teare stated. We’re going to make an effort to reflect what’s happening in each court with far greater accuracy and transparency.
Below, you can read the entire letter:
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