Gavel
Gavel Case Management System - Accountability Court Updates
First August 2026 Update
As we have previously communicated, CACJ is working with all accountability courts to transition away from CaseWorX and Connexis Cloud to Gavel, the State’s new case management system (CMS), by July 1, 2027. We are excited about this transition and are committed to partnering with you all to create a thoughtful, transparent, and integrated plan for this transition.
To this end, welcome to the first edition of the Gavel Information Series for Accountability Courts.
Helping you stay informed
As implementation teams continue preparing for the expansion of Gavel, we want to help your court stay informed and ready for what's ahead. Over the coming weeks and months, you will receive regular emails like this one, designed specifically for accountability courts, with information about the implementation process, helpful resources, and guidance on preparing for a successful transition to Gavel.
Implementing Gavel in your court in 4 phases
As your court prepares to transition to Gavel, there will be several activities designed to ensure you are ready to adopt and use the new system. Here’s what you can expect to do in each phase:
Phase 1/ Onboarding
Work with the implementation team to provide specific information about your court, configure Gavel for your program(s), and ensure users have the access and tools they need to get started.
Phase 2/ Data Migration & Validation
Review information migrated into Gavel and help confirm that participant, case, financial, and program data is accurate before your court’s go-live date.
Phase 3/ Training & Practice
Attend training sessions and take advantage of practice opportunities to become familiar with Gavel and build confidence using the system.
Phase 4/ Go-Live & Graduation
Prepare for the transition from your current case management system (and any important integrations, e.g., drug labs) and begin using Gavel for daily operations.
Today’s focus: Getting ready for Phase 1/Onboarding
During onboarding, your court will work with the implementation team from CACJ, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), and its partners (AWS/Slalom) to set up the Gavel system and prepare for migration. To prepare for those sessions, courts should be compiling the following information and/or preparing for the following activities:
- Providing a list of your court’s users and the level of access they need in Gavel.
- Submitting a list of current program fees in your court.
- Considering whether your court will accept credit card payments.
- Considering whether your court will transition to one of two Gavel-approved drug testing lab vendors or utilize its existing provider(s) (such decision being subject to discussions with the project team).
- Documenting program and treatment plan templates.
What to expect next
In future editions, we'll take a closer look at each implementation phase, including onboarding activities, training opportunities, readiness planning, and available support resources.
Our next communication will focus on drug testing lab integration service (LIS) vendor options. Gavel has established relationships with two approved vendors — Paracelsus and Abbott — who offer reliable drug testing integration services. Courts will need to work with their current drug lab analyzer vendor to decide whether to transition to one of these vendors or retain their current provider.
Have a question about Gavel? Complete the linked form detailing your questions and/or concerns about the new statewide accountability court case management system, Gavel. Your question(s) will be reviewed and incorporated in future communication.
Weekly Roundtable Accountability Court Sessions. The AOC has hosted weekly roundtables showcasing the features and functionalities of Gavel since early 2025. In particular, we recommend everyone watch Episode 15 (Accountability Court Spotlight) and Episode 56 (Working with Accountability Courts), which provide information about how Gavel will specifically address the needs of accountability courts.
Want more information on Gavel? We encourage you to visit the AOC’s CMS website for additional updates, timelines, and resources about Gavel.
Second August 2026 Update
Email sent to Coordinators by Rachel Gage on 8/11/26
As mentioned in Taylor’s email last week, we are excited to continue working with you all to prepare for the implementation of Gavel across all Georgia’s accountability courts. Today, we highlight Gavel’s drug testing features and solicit your help to complete a survey that will inform the drug testing transition plans for Gavel.
Gavel drug testing features
- Courts will be able to randomly schedule participants’ drug testing directly in Gavel based on an identified cadence. This feature means (i) you can select a participant individually, by track, or by phase; (ii) you can identify how often you require them to drug test; and (iii) you can have Gavel automatically schedule a participant’s drug testing.
- Courts can configure their drug testing schedule, location, panels, hours of testing, etc. based on their unique needs.
- Participants will be notified either by phone or email that they are required to drug test that day. Courts can customize the time notifications are sent to selected participants. Participants can check-in through Gavel when they arrive to drug test.
- Gavel has established relationships with two approved laboratory integration systems (“LIS”) vendors – Paracelsus and Abbott – that offer reliable drug testing integration services. If your in-house or external lab does not currently use either of these LIS vendors, then you will need to work with your current drug lab analyzer vendor to decide whether to transition to one of these LIS vendors or retain your drug lab analyzer vendor’s current provider.
- If you elect to utilize one of the two Gavel LIS vendors, through this integration you will be able to utilize automated drug test orders for routine and drug test confirmations, chain-of-custody procedures, and automated drug test results, limiting manual drug test data entry.
- If your drug lab decides to retain its current provider, CACJ cannot guarantee lab integration services unless such vendor establishes an integration with Gavel. We will work with you and your vendor directly on any questions.
What we need from you
- Please complete this linked survey that aims to collect current information on your drug lab usage. It should take no more than 5-10 minutes to complete.
- The survey also includes questions related to the statewide drug testing instrument contract that will inform future work.
- Please complete the survey by Tuesday, August 18th by 5pm. Your timely responses will allow CACJ and the Gavel project team to plan effectively for your court’s transition to Gavel.