There is money available to Ohio courts to reduce a buildup of cases due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Apply for a grant this week to fund additional resources and staffing.

The Ohio Court Backlog Reduction Program through the Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS) under the Ohio Department of Public Safety has $10 million in funding available to help courts reduce their caseloads.

The municipal and county courts, and general, domestic relations, juvenile and probate divisions of common pleas courts, and appellate courts are eligible. Proposals can qualify for up to two years of funding and will be reviewed by OCJS and the Supreme Court of Ohio. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on July 29.

The goal of the program is to reduce administrative time spent on cases, remove systemic and operational barriers that prevent cases from being resolved, and create new methods to improve court case flow, which was slowed due to the pandemic.

Qualified funding includes staffing and programming; hardware and software updates for case management systems; developing online dispute resolution and self-help services; virtual mental health assessments; implementing text reminders for hearings and payments; and developing partnerships with the justice system and community stakeholders to share the responsibilities in caseloads.

Funding requests can be backdated to April 1, 2022, according to funding guidelines.

For more information about the program and how to apply, visit the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Service website.