The subject of homelessness is a difficult issue for many of us. As a profession we are all too aware of the consequences of this challenge and for the most part we feel helpless to resolve it. Homeless men, women, and children are often times victims of violent crime and are forced to resort to behaviors that bring them into contact with law enforcement and courts just to survive. Homeless people are looked upon by our society as having brought this situations upon themselves through drug and alcohol abuse, but the fact is, many of them ended up in this situation through no fault of their own. This isn’t an issue that will go away on its own, but imagine the impact that we can have in lessening this tragedy if it became a priority for the justice system to aggressively mitigate this challenge. Homelessness Task Forces that involve law enforcement, prosecutors, the courts, social services, and philanthropic entities within our jurisdictions can make a significant impact in lessening the trauma of those suffering from this situation. This is a societal problem that we can positively impact if we just have the resolve to make a difference. Perhaps its time that we broaden our gaze just a bit and seek to make a difference each and everyday that we show up for work.
Textual Information, Reports, and Protocols Concerning Homelessness
The Homeless Court Program – American Bar Association
Homeless Court – National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
Responding to Homelessness – Center for Court Innovation
Homeless courts initiative – California Courts
San Diego Homeless Court Program
A Dream Denied: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities
Homelessness in San Luis Obispo County – San Luis Obispo
Supreme Court of the United States – Brennan Center for Justice
Alternatives to Criminalization or Homelessness – Montana
Punishing the Poorest – Coalition on Homelessness
Prevention of Homelessness of Youth in the Juvenile Justice System
Final Report of the Homelessness Task Force – City of Fort Worth
The Alarming Spread of the Criminalization of Poverty
Forced into Breaking the Law – Yale Law School
Strategies for Preventing Homelessness
Video Presentations Concerning the Subject of Homelessness
Homefree: PDX – A Documentary on Homelessness
Without A Roof (Homelessness in Toronto)
Broken Lives Illustrated Homeless Documentary
Homeless in New York: Crisis on the Streets
Family Homelessness in America
Relying on Kindness – Homelessness In Portland
Rough Sleepers | Homelessness Documentary
Homelessness in the Bay Area
Homeless in Detroit
CUNY Forum – Homelessness in New York: Crisis and Policy
2016 Homeless In The South
Homelessness and Addiction
Homeless with Mental Illness
Criminalizing homelessness in America
The White House’s Veterans Homelessness Summit
Tackling Homelessness — The Road to Emmaus