Leadership Team

Harris County Juvenile Probation Department (HCJPD) provides supervision and services to young people between the ages of 10 and 17 who are under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court. HCJPD is the largest juvenile probation department in Texas with approximately 1,100 employees and over 6,600 young people referred to the department annually.

HCJPD programs and services operate under the direction of the Harris County Juvenile Board.

Matt Shelton, PhD

Assistant Executive Director

Dr. Matt Shelton has dedicated nearly two decades to advancing juvenile justice in Harris County. His tenure with the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department (HCJPD) began following his post-doctoral fellowship with the MHMRA Juvenile Forensic Unit, where he conducted forensic psychological assessments for the courts.

Dr. Shelton joined HCJPD in the newly established Mental Health Services Division, which evolved into the Health Services Division. In this capacity, he led a range of critical initiatives, supervising the Psychological Services Unit, the Special Needs & Mental Health Diversionary Program, the Psychological Stabilization Unit, and the Medical Unit. His leadership was instrumental in expanding and integrating medical and mental health services within the department.

He later served as Deputy Director of Administrative Services, overseeing Human Resources, Payroll, Research, and Information Technology. In this role, Dr. Shelton played a key part in modernizing departmental operations and continues to contribute to the department's Research Committee and technology integration efforts.

In 2019, Dr. Shelton was appointed Deputy Director of Residential Services. He leveraged his expertise in mental health and organizational operations to reshape HCJPD's secure facilities into more therapeutic environments. He managed the operations of the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center in downtown Houston, as well as the county's two post-adjudicated facilities, Harris County Youth Village in Seabrook and Harris County Leadership Academy in Katy.

In January 2023, the Harris County Juvenile Board appointed Dr. Shelton as Assistant Executive Director of HCJPD. In this capacity, he oversees the department's strategic initiatives, including The Opportunity Center and the Reinvestment Fund, working to innovate and enhance services for justice-involved youth in Harris County.