Arming Teachers and K–12 School Staff: A Snapshot of Legislative Action

Corrections leaders balance the complex priorities of maintaining public safety, operating secure facilities, providing needed care and services to the incarcerated population, and coordinating with other agencies.

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center has launched the Collaborating for Youth and Public Safety Initiative (CYPSI) in partnership with six states: California, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island. The initiative will help states develop, fund, and effectively implement a research-based service continuum to improve public safety and behavioral health, education, and other outcomes for youth.   

Every day, public safety depends on thousands of state and…

In April 2025, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a package of bipartisan criminal justice legislation into law, which is designed to increase public safety and improve community supervision. The legislation passed nearly unanimously. 

A bipartisan group of 88 lawmakers, led by Representatives Carol Miller (R-WV) and Danny Davis (D-IL), wrote a letter calling for continued funding for the Second Chance Act in the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

Last month, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong signed a landmark bill to change how courts handle cases involving youth with mental health concerns or who lack the developmental maturity to understand the court process.