School Climate and Improvement: A Snapshot of Legislative Action

A positive school experience, where a child feels secure, is essential for their well-being. However, for many children with incarcerated parents—one in 14 in the U.S.—school can feel far from safe due to stigma, trauma, and a lack of understanding.

When returning to their communities from criminal justice settings, people with behavioral health needs face barriers in accessing basic needs—including food, housing, employment, transportation, education, clothing, and substance use and mental health services—which increases their risk of experiencing a crisis.

New Hampshire Department of Corrections Commissioner Helen Hanks presents at the Medicaid and Corrections Policy Academy in-person meeting.

The sharp rise in school shootings over the past 25 years has led school officials across the U.S. to take a closer look at ways to keep students safe. For Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, California, a tragic incident at a nearby university hit close to home and spurred campus leaders to revisit their own school’s threat assessments and crisis responses.   

Ideally, leaders would have actionable data readily available to them when they need it most. However, many agencies encounter significant challenges related to procuring accurate, consistent, and timely data, often grappling with outdated systems and inadequate tools.