"These funds will be used to improve the criminal justice system by better managing caseloads of the Innocence Projects at our law schools in Texas," Perry said.
Funding of a caseload management software system is one of the recent recommendations of the Governor's Criminal Justice Advisory Council.
The new online system will allow Innocence Projects at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Houston, Texas Tech University, and Texas Southern University to avoid duplication of effort, and will allow the public to have access to statistical information about caseloads. Specific case information subject to attorney-client privilege, however, will not be accessible by the public.
The grant is awarded under the State Criminal Justice Planning Fund and is distributed by the Governor's Criminal Justice Division.
The State Criminal Justice Planning Fund supports programs that enhance the criminal and juvenile justice systems through law enforcement training and development, juvenile delinquency prevention programs, substance abuse treatment programs, special prosecution and criminal investigation units, and victim services programs.