Rising threats prompt nationwide push to strengthen court security

As threats against the judiciary continue to rise, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) and state court leaders are moving quickly to strengthen court security across the country.

A major national initiative is now underway to help state courts respond to escalating risks. Through NCSC’s Safer Courts project, courts will gain access to strengthened security practices, expert guidance, and training designed to help judges, staff, and the public stay safe. 

“This initiative represents one of the largest and most important efforts NCSC, CCJ, and COSCA will take on this year,” said NCSC Managing Director Shay Cleary. “In addition to updating and sharing court security best practices, the initiative will establish standardized reporting and provide a clearer national picture of the threats courts face - laying the groundwork for a state court threat and incident tracking system.”

The initiative focuses on three critical priorities: strengthening courts’ ability to identify and respond to security threats, improving coordination among state and local court security partners, and clearly defining roles and responsibilities for protecting court facilities and personnel.

Safer Courts also aligns with growing national attention to judicial safety. It complements the Countering Threats and Attacks on Our Judges Act, bipartisan legislation passed by the U.S. Senate in November 2025 that is now before the U.S. House. If enacted, the legislation would establish a State Judicial Threat Intelligence and Resource Center to provide technical assistance, training, and monitoring of threats for state and local judges and court personnel.

The initiative also builds on “Securing Justice,” a COSCA policy paper outlining court security as a shared responsibility. The white paper was unanimously endorsed by CCJ. 

Supported by a State Justice Institute grant, Safer Courts will create standardized incident reporting and threat evaluation tools; update court security best practices and minimum standards; and publish training materials, assessment templates, and personal safety guides. A national convening in the fall will set the foundation for future phases of the project.

Safer Courts is an NCSC-led initiative guided by a CCJ/COSCA steering committee.  Committee members include:

• Chief Justice Richard Bevan, Idaho

• Beth Clement, president of NCSC

• Chief Justice Matthew Fader, Maryland 

• Chris Palmer, security director of the Utah courts

• Judy Rupp, state court administrator of Maryland

• Stephanie Smith, state court administrator of Kansas

To explore current court security resources and follow updates on the Safer Courts Initiative, visit www.ncsc.org/resources-courts/operations-governance/courthouse-planning-security.

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