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Dear John,

Did you know that Black girls are arrested at 4 times the rate of white girls?
Instead of affirming their right to learn in a safe space, too often school
environments have police officers on site and perpetuate the criminalization of
young people of color and youth with marginalized identities who are more
vulnerable to arrest and overly punitive discipline practices. In response, we
need fewer police and more trauma-informed mental health professionals in
school.


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Fourteen million students are in schools with police but no counselor, nurse,
psychologist, or social worker (ACLU). Given the overwhelming trauma and loss
students are facing from both the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing racial
unrest in cities across the U.S., their behavior and adjustments to school need
to be seen through a trauma-informed lens. Schools need professionals who can
properly respond to and understand, for example, that what is considered “acting
out” may actually reflect other issues like racial trauma, a learning
difference, sexual harassment, or difficulty at home. We must stop criminalizing
youth and instead be prepared to provide them a more comprehensive,
person-centered level of support.

We must ensure that our students, particularly girls of color, have access to
safe and supportive schools.
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Evidence shows that the presence of police in schools tends to contribute to the
school-to-prison-pipeline rather than to safer educational environments. The
Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act would decrease the number of
arrests in schools and help schools hire more counselors, social workers,
nurses, and other health professionals.

Take action today:
[[link removed]] Tell your Member of Congress to support the Counseling Not Criminalization in
Schools Act, to keep students in school and meaningfully supported with
trauma-informed mental health support!

Sincerely,



Lara S. Kaufmann
Director of Public Policy

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