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Ensuring Quality School Facilities and Security Technologies (Revised)

NCJ Number
229353
Author(s)
Todd Schneider
Date Published
September 2007
Length
69 pages
Annotation
This guide helps educators and other members of the community understand the relationship between school safety and school facilities, including technology.
Abstract
The physical environment of a school plays a critical role in keeping students safe. The school structure should provide an inviting environment where children are protected from threats. The issue is how schools can ensure a safe physical environment for students and educators. To assist schools in their safety efforts, the Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence and the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, with support from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), revised a series of guidebooks. The guidebooks are intended to build a foundation of information to assist schools and school districts in developing safe learning environments. The guidebooks provide local school districts with information and resources that support comprehensive safe school planning efforts. This guidebook is intended to inform administrators, educators, and members of the community of the importance of an affective environment and the role of the physical environment of a school in ensuring school safety. The guide covers: a) crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED), b) key questions to ask when planning to apply CPTED, c) an overview of security technology, and d) safety audits and security surveys. References and additional resources and readings