(Houston, TX) - Today, Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare announced a major milestone for the Harris County justice system: the years-long criminal backlog has been eliminated, as proven by newly released data.

The backlog of felony and misdemeanor cases—which began after Hurricane Harvey and worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic—once pushed the system to a breaking point.In March 2016, the average number of pending felony cases per court stood at 904. By 2021, that number had surged to 2,384 cases.

Backlogs like that affect public safety. They delay justice for victims. They leave defendants waiting in limbo. Backlogs strain the entire justice system. Data released today shows the average number of cases has dropped to 728 per court—lower than pre-2017 levels.

The March on Crime 40+ year initiative in Houston has always been about one thing: making our community safer. Today, we’re proud to make this announcement that squarely fits within that mission. Under DA Teare’s leadership, this administration is prosecuting cases faster, setting new standards in Harris County. We will continue delivering justice more efficiently.

The progress is also reducing pressure on the jail system. In the beginning of this year, the daily jail population was down 12 percent from the same time last year: in February 2026, 8,513 people were in custody, compared to 9,680 people in custody in February 2025. The average time a person spends in custody has also dropped—by 30 days.

Prosecuting pending felony cases remains the key factor in managing the jail population.We are resolving cases faster, with a focus on public safety. More trials are happening.More experienced prosecutors are staffing Intake, making smart charging decisions. But we are also making sure inmates with addiction and mental health challenges are getting treatment, diverting more than 1,161 of them to rehabilitation services since DA Teare took office.

“Today we have reached a major milestone for public safety in our community,” Teare said. “For too long, a dangerous criminal court backlog sent the wrong message: offenders could wait out the system and delay consequences while victims waited for justice. Justice delayed truly is justice denied—both for victims and the accused. Which is why I’m proud how we’ve turned these trends around. Thank you to our prosecutors, support staff, investigators, the judges, court staff, and law enforcement partners who worked together. There is still work to be done. But this milestone removes what's weighted down our court system for too many years. This is good for justice, and it saves taxpayers millions of dollars every year.”

In 2025, Harris County Commissioners Court provided an additional $7.5 million in funding to the HCDAO to bolster its work streamlining cases and supporting alternative resolutions. These funds helped revamp the agency’s Intake system, helped hire additional prosecutors, and, as shown through the numbers, assisted in improving how quickly cases are adjudicated.