The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act: A Dangerous New Chapter in the War on Black Youth

This brief offers context on the youth criminalization crisis in the United States. We then outline a series of harmful elements in the BSCA. Specifically, we review provisions that:

Increase funding for threat assessments, surveillance, and greater police presence in schools;
Expand data-sharing between law enforcement and mental health providers, risking youth privacy rights; and
Reinforce racial bias and take other ineffective approaches to reduce gun violence.
In addition, this brief provides recommended actions that Congress, federal agency leaders, and community advocates can take to mitigate these harms.