The Judicial Conference of the United States is asking Congress for $36.6 million in funding to make the majority of temporary judgeships permanent and to add more judges to certain courts across the nation in anticipation of a backlog of cases due to COVID-19.

"The $36.6 million we are seeking is to address emergent needs such as enhanced cleaning of court facilities, health screening at courthouse entrances, information technology hardware and infrastructure costs associated with expanded telework and videoconferencing, costs associated with probation and pretrial services supervision of offenders released from prison and defendants on pretrial release, and security related costs," wrote the Judicial Conference in a letter to House and Senate leadership.

The administrative group is hoping to meet caseload increases by converting temporary judgeships into permanent positions in courts including the Central District of California, Eastern District of Texas, Southern District of Florida, Western District of North Carolina and the Eastern District of Missouri, as well as federal courts in Kansas, Arizona and New Mexico.

The proposal would also add seven additional judgeships across the U.S. district courts for the Eastern District of California, Southern District of Florida, Western District of Texas and Southern District of Indiana, with remaining posts at district courts in New Jersey, Delaware and Arizona.

"It has been decades since the Judiciary's judgeships needs were comprehensively addressed by Congress, and the pandemic has further highlighted the strain many courts are experiencing due to overwhelming caseloads and an inadequate number of judges," the policy-making body wrote.

The letter also suggests expediting compassionate release procedures under the First Step Act, limiting pretrial detention for low-risk defendants and allowing probation officers to focus on higher risk offenders.

"As more inmates are released during the COVID-19 pandemic, placing an increased burden on court probation services, this legislative proposal would allow courts to terminate the period of supervised release of an offender who does not require intensive probation supervision prior to the current minimum of one year," the organization wrote.