New Report Highlights Disparities in Use of School Resource Officers, Recommends Changes
April 9, 2021
A new report from the Southern University Law Center is examining and recommending changes to policies around school discipline and, particularly, the utilization of school resource officers (SROs). Elizabeth Crain, the author of the report, argues that young students of color are disproportionately punished by SROs, frequently resulting in long-term “entanglements” with the criminal justice system. Crain recommends a series of changes to policy to combat the adverse effects on young students of color, including the establishment of clear rules of engagement for school officers by states and probationary periods potentially included in ESSA to address non-compliance.