BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A specialized Bexar County court designed to address the underlying causes of domestic violence is losing a major source of funding.
Reflejo Court works with people accused of domestic violence for the first time. The program focuses on treatment and other support services, including help addressing substance abuse and housing instability.
Bexar County Court 4 Judge Alfredo Ximenez took over the specialty court about six months ago.
He said his perspective on specialty courts changed after seeing firsthand how the programs work.
“When I first started six months ago, my view on specialty courts was kind of limited,” Ximenez said. “I knew they existed, but I didn’t know the crux of what they involved. And now I’ve made a 360 and realize how important specialty courts are.”
Ximenez described Reflejo as “100% offender-based as opposed to victim-based.”
Ximenez said his goal is to look beyond the criminal charge and address the factors that may contribute to the behavior.
Some participants grew up in homes where violence or substance abuse was normalized, Ximenez said.
“The only way they knew how to handle things was to lash out,” he said. “With treatment, we had excellent treatment providers. They get the treatment they need.”
Ximenez said the program has had a very low recidivism rate and that some graduates return to help people who are still participating in the program.
But the court is now facing a significant funding loss.
Reflejo Court had been receiving about $273,000 through a state grant. Ximenez said he expected the funding to be renewed, but it was not.
“We don’t know, they chose not to renew the grant,” he said.
The county is also facing budget pressures. Ximenez said his team looked for other ways to keep the program fully staffed but was unable to make up the funding gap.
“They’ve essentially cut my right hand off,” Ximenez said.
Without the grant, the court manager position is being eliminated. Participants may also have to pay for their own drug testing, and housing assistance is no longer available through the program.
Ximenez said Reflejo Court is not shutting down. Treatment services will continue as long as the court can provide them.
He is also looking for other grants or private funding to restore some of the services that have been lost.
“We’re going to go as long as we can because I’m not going to turn my back on these people in the program,” Ximenez said.
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