8-Specifications.pdf

SPECIFICATIONS

SCOPE

Harris County is seeking qualified vendor(s) for the ODonnell Consent Decree Educational Video Services for the Harris County Office of County Administration (OCA). The production shall be a series of five (5) educational videos concerning the misdemeanor court process in Harris County, Texas. This project is a direct and essential component of the County’s ongoing commitment to implementing the reforms mandated by the landmark federal consent decree in ODonnell et al. v. Harris County et al.

It is the responsibility of each vendor to examine the entire Request for Proposal (RFP) package, seek clarification in writing, and review their offer for accuracy before submitting. Questions relating to this RFP must be submitted in writing through Bonfire. The deadline for submission of questions relating to this RFP is listed on the Event schedule within Bonfire of this project. All questions submitted in writing prior to the deadline will be compiled and answered in writing.

A copy of all questions and answers will be released as a Public Notice within Bonfire to all firms. The County will not be bound to any information conveyed verbally.

M/WBE’s Harris County strives to engage with prime contractors and subcontractors that represent the diverse businesses of the County. We will ensure that historically underutilized minority- and woman-owned businesses (M/WBEs) receive a fair and equal opportunity to participate in the County's procurement process. The County expects Vendors to make a good faith effort and the Vendor agrees to reasonably assist the County to meet or exceed goals for awarding contracts associated with a project the County procures, operates, maintains, or constructs to M/WBEs.

BACKGROUND

ODonnell was a class-action lawsuit filed in 2016. The plaintiffs claimed Harris County's misdemeanor bail practices were unconstitutional and violated the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment by creating a wealth-based detention system.

In November 2019, the parties reached a settlement that resulted in a federally supervised consent decree reshaping misdemeanor bail procedures in Harris County. A critical component of the consent decree is that Harris County invest in methods to ensure that those released on bond attend their court hearings. This video series fulfils part of that mandate.

The project is not merely a public service announcement; it is a functional element of a court-ordered remedy. Research has shown that a significant percentage of failures to appear in court are due to a lack of easily available information. The vision for this video series is to serve as a primary tool for public education, demystifying the court process for individuals who often have no prior experience with the justice system. By providing clear, accessible, and accurate information, these videos will empower individuals with knowledge of their rights and responsibilities, reduce fear and confusion, and ultimately support the consent decree's goal of a fairer and more effective justice system by improving court appearance rates.

SCOPE OF WORK

Harris County is seeking qualified vendors to provide full-service production of five (5) distinct educational videos, each with an estimated length of one (1) to five (5) minutes. The vendor shall be responsible for all aspects of production, which includes talent recruitment, filming, editing, and final delivery of all assets. The primary audience for this series is individuals arrested for misdemeanors in Harris County and their families. Harris County expects the project to be completed within six (6) months of contract execution.

ODonnell Consent Decree Educational Video Services for the Harris County Office of County Administration

The following table provides a summary of the required video deliverables.

Video Title Key Topics Covered Primary Audience

1. Navigating the Courthouse: What to Expect

Security, Dress Code, Etiquette, Wayfinding First-time courthouse visitors

2. Your First Appearance: Magistration & Rights

Probable Cause Hearing, Rights, Personal Bonds

Recently arrested individuals

3. Understanding Your Bond: Obligations & Support

Bond conditions, Pretrial Services, Compliance

Individuals released on bond

4. Your Case from Start to Finish: An Overview

Arraignment, Pre-trial, Plea Bargaining, Trial Defendants and their families

5. Digital Tools & Resources to Help You Succeed

MyHarrisCountyCase.com, Support Services All justice-involved individuals

To ensure consistency and effectiveness across the series, all five (5) videos shall adhere to a defined messaging strategy and tone.

Tone: Harris County shall provide scripts for the actors to use, video imagery shall follow the provided scripts. The tone shall be clear, direct, calm, and respectful. It should be intentionally designed to be reassuring and empowering, actively avoiding any imagery that is punitive, intimidating, or condescending. The overall goal is to reduce anxiety and build confidence.

Visual Style: The visual style shall be professional, clean, and modern. It should inspire confidence and clarity. A combination of high-quality live-action footage, clear and legible on-screen text, and simple, effective motion graphics will be required to illustrate complex processes and timelines. The aesthetic should be consistent with a trusted public institution providing essential information.

I. DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS FOR VIDEO SERIES

This section provides the specific content requirements for each of the five (5) videos. The selected vendor shall be contractually obligated to incorporate all of the following points into the final scripts and productions.

A. Video 1: Navigating the Courthouse: What to Expect

The primary objective of this video is to reduce the anxiety and logistical confusion associated with a first-time visit to the Harris County Criminal Justice Center. The practical and psychological barriers of the courthouse environment can be a significant deterrent to court appearance, and this video shall address those challenges directly by providing a clear, virtual walkthrough of the experience.

Content Requirements:

Location and Arrival: The video shall clearly identify the Harris County Criminal Justice Center by name and address (1201 Franklin Street, Houston, TX 77002). It shall feature clear exterior shots of the building to aid in recognition. General information regarding nearby parking options and proximity to public transportation routes shall be mentioned.

Security Screening: The video shall visually depict the security screening process that all visitors must undergo upon entry. It shall explain that this process involves metal detectors and x-ray machines for personal belongings. The visuals shall prepare visitors for what to expect, such as removing belts, phones, and keys, to streamline their entry. This process is managed by the Harris County Constable Precinct One.

Prohibited Items: A critical segment shall be dedicated to outlining prohibited items. Using clear on-screen text and visual examples, the video shall list key forbidden items, including but not limited to:

any firearms or weapons (real or toy), knives, razors, scissors, disposable lighters, pepper spray, glass containers, and flammable liquids. It shall be explicitly stated that many of these items will be confiscated and may not be returned.

Finding Your Courtroom: The video shall explain how to locate a specific courtroom. This includes showing how to use building directories and how to read case information to find a courtroom number.

It should be noted that the County Criminal Courts at Law, which handle misdemeanors, are located on the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th floors of the building.

Courtroom Etiquette and Dress Code: This segment shall clearly articulate the standards of conduct and attire expected within the courthouse. The dress code shall be explained, prohibiting items such as shorts, tank tops, flip-flops, hats (unless for religious purposes), and any clothing with offensive slogans or imagery. The video shall also cover key rules of courtroom etiquette, such as silencing all electronic devices, refraining from food or drink, and understanding that taking photos or recording video is strictly prohibited.

B. Video 2: Your First Appearance: Magistration and Rights

Location and Arrival: The video shall be set inside a Harris County criminal courthouse. There should be at least one (1) narrator (a public figure preferred). The video may need to exclude extras, such as model defendants and judges to simulate a courtroom scene.

C. Video 3: Understanding Your Bond: Obligations and Support

The objective of this video is to clarify the responsibilities that come with being released on bond and to introduce Harris County Pretrial Services as a key resource for successful compliance.

Location and Arrival: The video can be partially set inside a Harris County criminal courtroom. There should be at least one (1) narrator (a public figure) to read a script. The video may need to exclude extras, such as model defendants and judges to simulate a courtroom scene. Scenes could also include at a bail bond office, at a home, and in the general community.

D. Video 4: Your Case from Start to Finish: An Overview

This video shall provide a simplified, chronological roadmap of a typical misdemeanor case, from the first formal court hearing through to its potential resolution.

Location and Arrival: The video will be set inside a Harris County criminal courtroom. There should be at least one (1) narrator (a public figure). The video may need to exclude extras, such as model defendants and judges to simulate a courtroom scene.

E. Video 5: Digital Tools and Resources to Help You Succeed

This video will serve as a practical, screen-capture-based tutorial on using Harris County's primary digital tool for defendants, MyHarrisCountyCase.com. The creation of this website is a direct, tangible result of the ODonnell decree's mandate to invest in technology to improve court appearance rates. This video is the primary vehicle for driving public awareness and adoption of this critical tool.

Content Requirements:

Introduction to MyHarrisCountyCase.com: The video will introduce MyHarrisCountyCase.com as a new, simple-to-use website created by Harris County to help people easily find information about their court case. The video must state that the site's purpose is to reduce non-appearances caused by a lack of accessible information.

Step-by-Step Tutorial: The core of the video shall be a clear, step-by-step screen-recording tutorial. It shall show a user navigating to the website and demonstrating how to search for a case using the required criteria: a full legal last name and date of birth.

Information Available on the Site: The tutorial shall clearly show the types of information a user can find once they locate their case. This includes all upcoming court dates, the reason for the hearing, the specific court location (including address and courtroom number), the arrest date, and other relevant case details.

Language Accessibility: The video shall highlight the website's embedded support for Google Translate, demonstrating how a user can view their case information in multiple languages.

Other Digital Resources: While the focus is on MyHarrisCountyCase.com, the video shall briefly mention and show the URLs for other useful official websites, such as the Harris County District Clerk's website for accessing forms, paying fines and fees, and finding court information, and the Justice of the Peace courts portal for related services.

Human Support Systems: The video shall conclude with a reminder that technology is a tool, but human help is also available. It shall provide on-screen contact information or website links for key support resources, such as the Harris County Public Defender's Office and non-profit partners like The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD, which provides a range of justice-system-related services.

II. UNIVERSAL PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS

The following technical, accessibility, and quality standards shall apply to all five (5) videos produced.

A. Production Quality and Style

Cinematography: All live-action footage shall be acquired in a 4K (Ultra HD) resolution or higher, using professional cinema cameras. Lighting shall be professional, and composition must be of a high aesthetic standard.

Audio: All audio, including dialogue and voiceover, shall be recorded using professional-grade equipment to ensure maximum clarity and freedom from background noise. The final audio mix for each video shall be professionally mastered to broadcast standards.

Graphics: All on-screen text, motion graphics, and animations shall be of high quality, professionally designed, and consistent with the overall visual style of the series.

Interpreters and translators: All interpretations and translations shall be certified. Vendor shall be responsible for warranting the accuracy, including complex legal terms. At least three (3) independent, multi-lingual experts, including one (1) attorney, shall verify the accuracy of each language’s message.

B. Talent and Representation

Professionalism: All on-screen talent (actors/hosts) and voiceover artists shall be experienced professionals.

Non-union talent is required.

Talent: The vendor shall preferably recruit on-screen talent (especially the narrator) who is a well-known local, national, or international figure such as professional baseball or other sports figures, actors, or musician. Harris County is requesting pricing and talent plans for with well known figures and without.

The Spanish version may use the same actors or different actors as the English version. The narrator in the Spanish version shall speak fluent Spanish. Talent selection is an important part of the project, and Harris County has the right to reject the vendor’s choice of talent. If the vendor is not able to recruit mutually agreeable talent prior to the start of the project, Harris County has the right to rescind the contract.

C. Accessibility and Language

Ensuring full accessibility for all members of the public is a non-negotiable requirement of this project and is central to the mission of the ODonnell reforms.

English and Spanish Parity: The project requires the creation of full, parallel versions of all five (5) videos in both English and Spanish. This is not a request for subtitles. The vendor shall produce separate Spanish versions that include:

• A professional, culturally and linguistically accurate translation of the approved English script.

• A separate, professional voiceover recording by a native Spanish-speaking artist.

• All on-screen text and motion graphics shall be recreated in Spanish.

Subtitles: All video productions must be delivered with selectable subtitles. Subtitles shall be provided, at a minimum, in the following languages:

• English

• Spanish

• Arabic

• Simplified Chinese

• Vietnamese

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance: All final video deliverables, in both languages, shall conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the Level AA success criteria. This includes, at a minimum:

• Closed Captions: The vendor shall provide separate, accurately transcribed, and perfectly timed closed caption files in the SubRip Subtitle (.srt) format for both the English and Spanish versions of all five (5) videos.

• Audio Descriptions: For any essential visual information that is not conveyed through the primary audio track (e.g., critical text displayed on-screen in a graphic, a key visual action), the vendor shall produce and provide a separate audio description track to ensure the content is accessible to users with visual impairments.

D. Technical Specifications and Final Deliverables

All vendor personnel serving Harris County shall adhere to the highest standards of professionalism and ethical conduct. As an extension of the Department's operations, the vendor's team is expected to maintain a professional demeanor and appearance at all times while on-site. This includes respectful and empathetic interaction with juvenile residents, their families (when authorized), and all Department staff. Personnel shall treat all individuals with dignity and respect, recognizing the sensitive nature of the environment and the vulnerability of the juvenile population.

Strict adherence to all Department policies, rules, and regulations, beyond just security protocols, is mandatory.

This encompasses guidelines related to communication, personal conduct, and maintaining appropriate boundaries with residents. Confidentiality and discretion are paramount; vendor staff shall exercise extreme care to avoid inadvertent disclosure of sensitive information or observations, even beyond the strictures of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Any unauthorized contact, communication, or fraternization with juvenile residents is strictly prohibited. The vendor shall ensure that its employees are thoroughly educated on the critical importance of these conduct standards and that a clear code of conduct and ethics is in place and enforced.

Video Format: All final videos shall be delivered as high-quality, H.264-encoded Moving Pictures Experts Group (MP4) files, optimized for web streaming.

Aspect Ratios: To maximize utility across platforms, the vendor shall deliver two (2) versions of each final video (in both English and Spanish):

• A standard 16:9 horizontal version for use on websites and platforms like YouTube.

• A 9:16 vertical version, creatively re-framed and edited from the source footage, for use on social media platforms (e.g., Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts).

Project Files and Assets: Upon final approval, the vendor shall deliver to Harris County a complete package of all project assets. This includes all raw, unedited camera footage; all audio files; all graphic design assets (e.g., Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop files); and the complete, editable project files for the video editing and motion graphics software used (e.g., Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects project files). All assets are the exclusive property of Harris County.