El Paso County: From Case Management to Client Optimization

Organization Profile

  • Location: El Paso County Criminal Justice Coordination Department, Texas
  • Population: 875,000+
  • Tyler Client Since: 2008
  • Tyler Products/Solutions: Enterprise Justice, Enterprise Supervision, Enterprise Corrections, Enterprise ERP, Enterprise Asset Management
  • Tyler Excellence Award Category: Operational Efficiency

Located on the westernmost border, El Paso County, Texas, is a culturally diverse community sitting between neighboring state lines and the U.S.-Mexico border. Its geographical makeup presents unique circumstances to the El Paso Criminal Justice Coordination Department, from language barriers to access to resources to high indigenous rates.

Recognizing these constraints, coupled with demanding caseloads of more than 400 per officer and more than 15,000 pretrial assessments annually, their pretrial department set out to transform their traditional caseload management into modernized client optimization.

Their objective: help the community thrive by assisting individuals in navigating the justice system.

“Seeing what defendants go through on top of the struggles we had with software, enhancing the pretrial supervision process was critical to the success of our community,” shared supervision manager, Brittney Gatlin.

It’s this tenacity, community-first mindset, and pursuit of excellence that earned the El Paso County Criminal Justice Coordination Department a 2025 Tyler Excellence Award in Operational Efficiency.

The Challenge: Client Outcomes Depend on Pretrial Processes

With hundreds of cases to manage, staff spent valuable time and long hours on manual pretrial documentation, reporting, and case management, resulting in errors and inefficiencies.

Time-Consuming Pretrial Assessments

Staff conducted pretrial interviews, assessments, and reentry program reporting manually. Those manual forms opened the door to human error and data discrepancies, threatening the integrity of the justice system as documentation was sent to judiciary, booking, and justice partners.

The Weight of Critical Decision-Making

As stressful as this manual process is for staff, an individual’s chance of redemption depends on the pretrial process. With life-altering incarceration on the table, “Going through the pretrial system can be one of the most challenging times for an individual. Our pretrial recommendations directly affect their outcome, like the possibility of bail,” emphasized Elizabeth Arellano, reentry manager.

Checking Boxes Overruled Crucial Communications

If overwhelming paper-driven processes weren’t enough, staff also spent half their week making phone calls to notify or remind clients of upcoming hearings and appointments. Checking the boxes of case management became the priority, and meaningful client interactions suffered as a result.

The Solution: Prioritizing Client Outcomes Through Efficient and Accurate Pretrial Case Management

Striving to be more intentional in the critical nature of their work, the El Paso County Criminal Coordination Department decided to reimagine pretrial case management. With a new pretrial technology suite at the center of operations, they are no longer focused on just caseload management, but also increased focus on client optimization.

Saving countless hours and increasing accuracy by as much as 40%, Arellano described it as, “[Enterprise Supervision] has presented an opportunity for our department and partners to come together and help our community thrive.”

The Result: Outcome-Driven Pretrial Interactions and Justice Partner Collaborations

Officer caseload volumes have remained high, but El Paso County is seeing the difference in reentry success.

Simple Expectations During Complex Circumstances

From paperless workflows to electronic assessments and automated forms, El Paso County’s pretrial processes are configured to eliminate mistakes and enhance efficiency. During arrest and intake, “Officers don’t have to worry about entering client data because it’s system-based. Instead they can focus on completing assessments, resulting in more accurate score calculations,” shared Arellano.

For supervision, Gatlin added, “Before, we had clients reporting to the office twice a month. They’d have to take time off work or find childcare, which can be a struggle, especially for our downtown office. With our remote system, they can check in by phone, and we’re seeing it’s working much better.” As part of the digital check-in, clients also receive automated court hearing reminders, which can help maintain compliance and save officers 20 hours per week.

Collaboration Encourages Meaningful Interactions

Alleviating some of the workload for staff, officers can now dedicate more time to impactful pretrial activities. From the onset of arrest to pretrial supervision to reentry services, Gatlin explained the collaborative process: “After the pretrial assessment, forms are generated automatically with error-free data. A supervision manager can assign an activity to the reentry team, and we’re able to work on it together as a unit.” As a department and broader justice ecosystem, knowing what is communicated and what activities are scheduled helps El Paso County clients receive right-sized, one-on-one, and tailored support necessary for their success.

Arellano praised the impact of collaboration when she said, “Because we all have access to accurate, shared information, this helps us provide a holistic continuum of care throughout the process. With Enterprise Supervision, we also realized the effects of data entered by courts and clerks. The integration allowed us to come together and work in unison to support our clients.”

Fueling Pretrial Decisions Through Success Metrics

Another contribution toward better client outcomes is El Paso County’s initiative to eliminate manual Excel program reports and implement a partner portal for program monitoring, such as earning a GED. Across justice partners, the portal facilitates seamless referrals, connects community resources, enables real-time data sharing, and establishes transparency in monitoring client progress and outcomes.

The Future: A Forward-Thinking and Connected Community

With this model of success in its pretrial division, El Paso County is currently implementing Enterprise Supervision in its probation department and specialty courts. The county also uses ERP Pro to monitor and simplify its financials, as well as Enterprise Justice to anchor their court operations. As they look forward to integrating more departments, the wealth of data — and opportunity — available will only further connect their community.

Case Study Highlights

  • Automated pretrial processes, resulting in enhanced data accuracy and streamlined case management.
  • Ensured officers can dedicate their time to more impactful pretrial activities for their 400+ clients.
  • Created more efficient and collaborative processes for monitoring and reporting client progress.

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