Atlanta – The Judicial Council of Georgia Ad Hoc Committee on ARPA Funding
(“Committee”) has awarded grants totaling $7,430,560, to be distributed among 12 judicial circuits that applied for funding through calendar year 2025. Of these circuits, two applied for new awards and ten applied for additional funds to amend an existing award. The Committee accepted applications from August 30, 2024, through September 20, 2024, for the award period beginning January 1, 2025, and ending on December 31, 2025.
As of this round of funding, 48 of Georgia’s 51 judicial circuits (including the West Georgia Judicial Circuit, which will be effective 1/1/2025) will have received grants since the program began on January 1, 2022. Subject to available funds, the program is planned to run through calendar year 2026. The Committee has previously awarded more than $75 million in funding to 39 judicial circuits for calendar years 2023 through 2025.
Since the program’s inception, funds have been awarded around the state for temporary personnel to respond to the case backlog, such as senior judges, judges to serve by designation, court clerks, prosecutors, security personnel, investigators, victim support staff, and court reporters; rental costs for temporary space to hold court; supplies and materials; mandatory education and training for certain personnel; and staff to support grant administration. As provided by the Committee’s Audio-Visual Equipment Modernization Policy, additional approved expenses include evidence presentation tools, assisted listening systems, video conferencing and remote appearance systems, improved court reporting interfaces, and general audio and video improvements aimed at assisting the circuits in reducing their backlog of serious violent felony cases. In this round of awards, one new circuit has received funding for audio-visual equipment modernization, and four existing grantees have received additional funding in this category.
“As we enter the final year of the CY 2023-2025 grant period, the Committee is pleased with the way our judicial circuits are utilizing these funds to address case backlogs, with an emphasis on serious violent felony cases. We will continue to monitor the status of awards and are confident in the impact they will continue to have,” said Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs, Chair of the Judicial Council and the ARPA Committee. “I thank the Committee members for their work in overseeing this grant program and serving as a resource to all grantees in their judicial administrative districts.”
A complete list of current grantees and award amounts is attached. Funding decisions are based on demonstrated need as long as funding is available. More information on grant requirements, Committee policies, frequently asked questions, timelines, and contact information is available at https://jcaoc.georgiacourts.gov/arpa/.
As of this round of funding, 48 of Georgia’s 51 judicial circuits (including the West Georgia Judicial Circuit, which will be effective 1/1/2025) will have received grants since the program began on January 1, 2022. Subject to available funds, the program is planned to run through calendar year 2026. The Committee has previously awarded more than $75 million in funding to 39 judicial circuits for calendar years 2023 through 2025.
Since the program’s inception, funds have been awarded around the state for temporary personnel to respond to the case backlog, such as senior judges, judges to serve by designation, court clerks, prosecutors, security personnel, investigators, victim support staff, and court reporters; rental costs for temporary space to hold court; supplies and materials; mandatory education and training for certain personnel; and staff to support grant administration. As provided by the Committee’s Audio-Visual Equipment Modernization Policy, additional approved expenses include evidence presentation tools, assisted listening systems, video conferencing and remote appearance systems, improved court reporting interfaces, and general audio and video improvements aimed at assisting the circuits in reducing their backlog of serious violent felony cases. In this round of awards, one new circuit has received funding for audio-visual equipment modernization, and four existing grantees have received additional funding in this category.
“As we enter the final year of the CY 2023-2025 grant period, the Committee is pleased with the way our judicial circuits are utilizing these funds to address case backlogs, with an emphasis on serious violent felony cases. We will continue to monitor the status of awards and are confident in the impact they will continue to have,” said Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs, Chair of the Judicial Council and the ARPA Committee. “I thank the Committee members for their work in overseeing this grant program and serving as a resource to all grantees in their judicial administrative districts.”
A complete list of current grantees and award amounts is attached. Funding decisions are based on demonstrated need as long as funding is available. More information on grant requirements, Committee policies, frequently asked questions, timelines, and contact information is available at https://jcaoc.georgiacourts.gov/arpa/.
Background on Judicial ARPA Funding
Georgia’s judiciary operated under a Statewide Judicial Emergency Order from March 2020 through June 2021. The order placed necessary limitations on court operations to protect the health and safety of those working in and coming to courthouses during this time but also resulted in a backlog of criminal and civil cases, particularly those requiring jury trials to resolve.
In October 2021, Gov. Brian P. Kemp announced the allocation to the judicial branch of $110 million of ARPA funds to address backlogs of court cases, particularly cases involving serious violent felonies. The Judicial Council is administering $96 million of that total for eligible courts, prosecutors, and related agencies. The remaining $14 million in ARPA funds was allocated to the Georgia Public Defender Council for grants to public defenders.
The Committee, chaired by Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs, is overseeing the application process for the grants, and the Judicial Council’s Administrative Office of the Courts is facilitating the grant application, award, compliance, and reporting processes. All funds allocated to the judicial branch must be spent by December 31, 2026.
In October 2021, Gov. Brian P. Kemp announced the allocation to the judicial branch of $110 million of ARPA funds to address backlogs of court cases, particularly cases involving serious violent felonies. The Judicial Council is administering $96 million of that total for eligible courts, prosecutors, and related agencies. The remaining $14 million in ARPA funds was allocated to the Georgia Public Defender Council for grants to public defenders.
The Committee, chaired by Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs, is overseeing the application process for the grants, and the Judicial Council’s Administrative Office of the Courts is facilitating the grant application, award, compliance, and reporting processes. All funds allocated to the judicial branch must be spent by December 31, 2026.
| Circuits | CY23 Cycle 1 Award Amounts | CY 2023 Cycle 2 Award Amounts | CY 2024 Cycle 1 Award Amounts | CY 2024 Cycle 2 Award Amounts | CY25 Cycle 1 Award Amounts | CY23-25 Cumulative Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Budget as approved by Committee | $39,476,327 | $15,516,567 | $20,712,972 | $5,636,983 | $1,793,577 | $83,136,426 |
| Alapaha | $139,066 | $139,066 | ||||
| Alcovy | $266,384 | $805,000 | 103,242 | $1,174,626 | ||
| Appalachian | $1,710,892 | $404,403 | $663,089 | $2,778,384 | ||
| Atlanta | $919,834 | $919,834 | ||||
| Atlantic | $1,515,207 | $925,527 | $623,774 | $3,064,508 | ||
| Augusta | $2,000,000 | $500,000 | $387,569 | $2,887,569 | ||
| Bell-Forsyth | ||||||
| Blue Ridge | $97,290 | $1,315,931 | $80,824 | $352,351 | $1,846,396 | |
| Brunswick | $993,314 | $1,140,350 | $389,297 | $2,522,961 | ||
| Chattahoochee | $1,977,991 | $99,336 | $804,491 | $2,881,818 | ||
| Cherokee | $1,087,538 | $947,938 | $2,035,476 | |||
| Clayton -- Cycle 2 application withdrawn | ||||||
| Cobb | $2,000,000 | $775,138 | $2,775,138 | |||
| Columbia | $1,011,758 | $353,000 | $392,126 | $1,756,884 | ||
| Conasauga | $239,582 | $150,000 | $38,051 | $427,633 | ||
| Cordele | $431,944 | $431,944 | ||||
| Coweta | $1,999,801 | $500,000 | $740,087 | $703,800 | $($128,327) | $3,815,361 |
| Dougherty | $492,690 | $492,690 | ||||
| Douglas | $894,930 | $346,809 | $1,241,639 | |||
| Dublin | $607,260 | $241,193 | $848,453 | |||
| Eastern | ||||||
| Enotah | $1,999,662 | $1,653,313 | $3,652,975 | |||
| Flint | $1,370,631 | $1,370,631 | ||||
| Griffin | $1,135,685 | $1,035,540 | $475,063 | $2,646,288 | ||
| Gwinnett | $1,999,792 | $499,998 | $968,842 | $1,500,000 | $4,968,632 | |
| Houston | ||||||
| Lookout Mountain | $625,661 | $1,702,543 | $2,328,204 | |||
| Macon | $1,246,466 | $400,943 | $483,092 | $51,477 | $2,181,978 | |
| Middle | ||||||
| Mountain | $364,080 | $880,987 | $143,044 | $1,388,111 | ||
| Northeastern | $1,988,000 | $512,000 | $749,692 | $1,120,739 | $4,370,431 | |
| Northern | $669,069 | $259,311 | $928,380 | |||
| Ocmulgee | $242,595 | $448,126 | $113,988 | $804,709 | ||
| Oconee | $982,839 | $313,654 | $1,296,493 | |||
| Ogeechee | $1,418,082 | $611,186 | $584,766 | $2,614,034 | ||
| Pataula | $132,257 | $132,257 | ||||
| Paulding | $1,298,033 | $364,441 | $591,414 | $2,253,888 | ||
| Piedmont | $62,530 | $1,024,235 | $1,086,765 | |||
| Rockdale | $2,000,000 | $775,138 | $2,775,138 | |||
| Rome | ||||||
| South Georgia | $213,248 | $659,787 | $83,715 | $145,948 | $1,102,698 | |
| Southern | ||||||
| Southwestern | $332,816 | $128,989 | $461,805 | |||
| Stone Mountain | $2,000,000 | $775,138 | $775,218 | $3,550,356 | ||
| Tallapoosa | $960,239 | $930,903 | $1,891,142 | |||
| Tifton | $163,603 | $16,753 | $351,804 | $332,450 | $864,610 | |
| Toombs | $499,457 | $430,000 | $200,783 | $500,000 | $1,630,240 | |
| Towaliga | $643,998 | $249,594 | $155,000 | $1,048,592 | ||
| Waycross | $904,836 | $1,207,971 | $2,112,807 | |||
| West Georgia | $1,002,070 | $1,002,070 | ||||
| Western | $1,323,789 | $752,400 | $556,623 | $2,632,812 | ||
| $39,476,327 | $15,516,567 | $20,712,972 | $5,636,983 | $1,793,577 | $83,136,426 |