Connecting Justice: Why El Paso County Migrated to SaaS
Organization Profile
- Location: El Paso County, Texas
- Population: 875,000+
- Tyler Client Since: 2008
- Tyler Products/Solutions Used: Enterprise Justice, Enterprise Supervision, Enterprise Corrections, Enterprise ERP, Enterprise Asset Management
- Tyler Excellence Award Category: Digital Services & Cloud
A “connected community” is deeply ingrained in El Paso County, Texas, as a measurement of modernization.
With a goal to unify the justice ecosystem, “having the correct data and getting it to the correct people is extremely important for those working in and part of the system,” explained Carlos Puga, IT Division Manager for El Paso County. “We need data in one place to follow through all other systems, from arrest to booking to prosecution to court to community service.”
Committed to leveraging technology built to communicate across the justice system, Puga noted, “We saw an opportunity to not only move to SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) but to also think long-term strategically. We want to be better prepared for the future. In a SaaS environment, we’re looking out for the best of the county and our staff.”
Today, they represent a fully optimized justice system working together at every stage to connect people, data, and processes while driving efficiencies that lead to better outcomes. It’s these efforts to embrace modernization, integration, and service delivery through a SaaS model powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) GovCloud that were recognized with a 2025 Tyler Excellence Award.
Before: At a System Standstill
El Paso County experienced service disruptions in both its on-premises server environment and version of software. Having invested valuable resources on infrastructure maintenance for its 50+ servers and three databases, the county felt the impacts of database tuning, server optimization, and end-of-life system support. From calendar latency to system availability to failed reports, Puga explained, “When the system is down, it affects our access to justice data. It’s important that we restore operations quickly.”
At a standstill with their current setup, El Paso County’s decision to modernize justice and move to a SaaS, cloud-hosted environment was a no-brainer.
Solution: Migrating to SaaS Connects Data Across the Justice System
Moving to a cloud environment, while simultaneously upgrading to the latest version of Enterprise Justice, enhanced system stability, security, and viability. “We have a lot of agencies that all need access to information. This connectivity is beneficial when conducting research and preparing for a case ... or even for the El Paso community, they deserve transparency,” Puga described.
Today, as data seamlessly and automatically flows through justice workflows, the transition and upgrade represent a connected justice ecosystem and community in El Paso County. Staff no longer need to enter or retrieve data manually — it’s available in real-time, from dispatch to disposition.
A key component of this shift was the establishment of the “Enterprise Justice Control Board” — a group of influential decision-makers from various departments, including the sheriff’s office, county clerk, district clerk, district attorney, county attorney, the judiciary, and the public defender’s office. They embody business-line expertise and coming together under a common goal allowed them to address stakeholder needs and operational requirements. As a unit, the Control Board played a crucial role in ensuring successful planning for the collaborative migration to SaaS.
Puga highlighted, “Having these departments work together with the same vendor under the same framework of systems that talk to each other helps everyone understand each other’s business process; it’s how collaboration happens.”
Having these departments work together with the same vendor under the same framework of systems that talk to each other helps everyone understand each other’s business process; it’s how collaboration happens.
Carlos Puga
IT Division Manager
El Paso County, Texas
After: The Difference a SaaS Model Can Make on Justice
Puga summarized their journey when he said, “Migrating to SaaS created a more stable, dependable, and secure environment for Enterprise Justice.” The transition removed cross-department siloes, resolved service disruptions, and reduced the IT workload.
Justice Partner Collaboration
Upgrading Enterprise Justice provided much-needed functionality improvements, especially for operational workflows across agencies. Overall case management improved between the court and jail, and county reporting also received a facelift. The upgrade addressed longstanding deficiencies in state-mandated reporting with the Texas Office of Court Administration, streamlining El Paso County’s compliance with statutory requirements.
Service Delivery
A hosted model offered operational continuity for end-users. In today’s remote work era, staff can access the software from anywhere without depending on the county network. Puga shared an example: “(The system) was down for a couple of hours for planned maintenance, but staff working from home could still access Enterprise Justice. From an IT perspective, it’s the little things that you don’t think are a big deal. But when you speak to end users, it’s a huge deal for them.”
Additionally, the transition enabled El Paso County to improve system availability — uptime increased from 87% in 2022 to 99.98% post-migration, significantly increasing access to justice.
IT Resources
Eliminating their on-site servers and databases across all environments, El Paso County freed up valuable IT resources. No longer maintaining system infrastructure and security, IT support hours reduced by approximately 30% per month, resulting in more time for more impactful work. During their smooth implementation, IT received fewer than 10 support calls, as the upgrade improved system efficiency and resolved more than 150 previously reported software issues.
SaaS Advice for Other Courts
Puga recognized that it may seem like a lack of control in a new environment. However, when transitioning to SaaS, he advised other courts, “Don’t be afraid of change and keep your end users in mind. Take inventory of today’s integrations and make sure those are replicated in the new environment.” With careful planning, users won’t experience significant speed bumps.
Puga recalled the moment the transition and implementation hit home for him. “A couple of days into the cutover, people didn’t even realize we were on SaaS. They were asking, ‘When are we going live?’ I said, ‘You’re on it, you’ve been on it since Monday.’ To me, that signaled a successful transition. If our users didn’t notice any changes and were able to continue their work without any disruptions, that’s a huge win for us.”
Looking Ahead: A Connected El Paso Community
El Paso County delivered unprecedented collaboration with two major initiatives: migrating to a SaaS environment and upgrading software. Between IT, their Control Board, and even other departments embracing new case management for community supervision, the county has demonstrated how a strategic vision and cross-department collaboration can drive transformative change in justice administration. They serve as a definitive model of success — a county dedicated to creating a more connected community through modern opportunities.