Gavel Case Management System - Accountability Court Updates

 

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Gavel Information Series for Accountability Courts #5 (October 23, 2026)

(email sent by Taylor Jones, CACJ Executive Director) 

As we advance together toward the statewide rollout of the Gavel Case Management System, I want to take a moment to share important updates from our recent implementation efforts. CACJ continues to deeply appreciate the dedication of our MVP Courts and look forward to keeping all Accountability Courts informed as we refine and strengthen the Gavel Case Management System.

Gavel Go-Live Update 
Accountability Courts in the Appalachian Judicial Circuit, Forsyth County, and the Northeastern Judicial Circuit (“MVP Courts”) went live in Gavel during the week of October 5, 2026.  We remain grateful to our pioneering MVP Courts for leading the way with Gavel implementation. Implementing a new system with the size, scope, and speed of Gavel is challenging for the courts, CACJ, AOC, and our partners at Slalom and AWS. For the benefit of all Accountability Courts statewide, our MVP Courts committed themselves to being the first to implement Gavel, and their service is deeply valued. Their efforts and hard work are paving the way not only for the implementation of Gavel for Accountability Courts, but for the Gavel Case Management System for other classes of court in the state. 

Our MVP Courts, CACJ staff, and the Gavel Team met to debrief on Monday, October 19, 2026. While many of the Gavel workflows and features met the needs of our MVP Courts, there is still much work to do. In addition to various bug fixes and the need for additional system development, the team discovered other changes (after go-live) that need to be implemented before a statewide rollout can be successful. 

On October 21, 2026, the Gavel Team determined that a new timeline needs to be established. The entire Gavel Team wants to ensure the remaining courts go-live as smoothly and efficiently as possible. This is currently planned for the beginning of calendar year 2027. Pre-implementation activities, such as each court completing its Gavel Onboarding Workbook and some introductory training, will continue to take place between now and the end of 2026 to help ensure that each court is as ready as they can be to go-live with Gavel in early 2027. 

Our Agile development methods allow for flexibility and include an iterative approach to finding problems, fixing problems, and making enhancements. These are the processes used to develop Gavel since the start of the project, and they continue to ensure that we can move quickly and respond to problems as they arise.  There is also a system in place to prioritize feedback as Gavel works to make good on its core promise, which is to create one, modern, secure, connected system that also provides for local customization. 

Please note that all Accountability Courts must go-live in Gavel by June 30, 2027. CACJ is not pursuing another renewal of its legacy case management systems. Access to legacy case management systems will also be removed on June 30, 2027. Our amended timeline will embrace this fact.

CMS / Treatment Training Series Webinar: Putting It All Together: Documenting Treatment Services in Gavel *A Brief Demo* 

The third and final session of our CMS/Treatment Training Series Webinars will take place on October 28, 2026, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.  In this latest webinar, we will walk through Gavel in real-time to demonstrate the treatment plan functionality and showcase the new treatment service categories, including notes for treatment sessions. You will have an opportunity to see Gavel in action, as well as the new treatment service framework covered in previous webinars and the way in which that translates to better data collection. You may register by using the following link: https://cacj.formstack.com/forms/cacj_cmstxc_webinar_10282026

Gavel Court Onboarding Workbook Resources and Extended Deadline
Thank you for the time and effort courts have already dedicated to completing the Gavel Court Onboarding Workbook. 

  • The workbook submission deadline has been extended to Friday, October 30, providing additional time for courts to gather and confirm the requested information.
  • Gavel Court Onboarding Workbook FAQs  (PDF, 175.25 KB)  for answers to common questions about completing the workbook. 
  • Standardizing Service Definitions and Note Types for Accountability Courts for additional guidance on treatment services and documentation.  
  • Once your workbook is complete, please submit it via Formstack.
  • If you have additional questions or need support, please continue to reach out to your designated Pod Team. Your Pod Team can answer questions, help you work through outstanding items, and provide guidance as you complete the workbook.

Gavel Roundtables 

Stay connected to the latest Gavel updates through the Gavel Roundtables. We encourage courts to join upcoming live sessions to hear the latest updates and ask questions directly. Recordings of all prior episodes, including ones dedicated specifically to Accountability Courts, are archived on the webpage. Roundtables are currently held Friday mornings from 9:30–10:00 a.m.

Looking Ahead to Next Week (October 26–30, 2026)

  • CACJ Gavel communication will provide further updates on the go-live timeline and pre-implementation activities that are being planned for the remainder of 2026.
  • Additionally, next week’s Gavel communication will provide further information on drug testing lab integrations with Gavel. 

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