Homeless people found to commit crimes tactically to go to jail on purpose
Are homeless people more likely to commit crimes?
While I cannot answer the question of whether homeless people are more likely to commit crimes it does appear that if a person has less to lose by being a criminal than they have to gain then they may pursue that option. It has been shown that in 2010 1/5 of all homeless people have committed imprisonable offences. This can include selling drugs, prostitution, or anything else (left up to the imagination of people in this position).
Unwanted sex has become a way out of homelessness for many. One in seven men and 28% of women had spent a night – or longer – with an unwanted sexual partner to "accommodate themselves".
The article mentions that unwanted sex is an activity which homeless people find themselves participating in. In fact, 28% of women who are homeless have had to enter into these sorts of relationships. Isn't it considered coercion if a partner who is homeless is pressured into sexual favors? It may very well be coercion in some instances but then from a cost vs benefit point of view the homeless individual can gain accomodation with the least risk of going to jail. Prostitution would include the risk of a police sting and jail time. Sex in exchange or accommodation is a way out of homelessness but then we have the question of why does society perceive putting people in these circumstances to be helpful?
Does the risk of being homeless motivate "hard work"?
The idea being that people need to be motivated to work hard. That the threat of homelessness is what pushes people to do whatever it takes to avoid that position. This in some way may be true but "hard work" may very well be the cause of criminal activity. Hard work doesn't always mean there are legitimate oppotunities to express this willingness to do what it takes. In addition, doing what it takes in the illicit illegitimate context would include any kind of barter, any sort of criminal activity, and from even the most ethical perspective there are a lot of profitable victimless crimes.
Is commiting victimless crimes one of the only viable paths out of homelessness?
People who are homeless require money to pay their rent. If they cannot earn this money using legitimate (legal) means then they may be forced to go a different route to achieve their objectives. This in my opinion should be entirely understandable by a rational person; which is to say that if a homeless person is willing to do whatever it takes (work hard) to get out of that position then it would include all activities which are available after weighing the cost vs benefits (and morality). If an activity produces no victim, provides something people value enough to pay for it, but is "illegal"? If the risk of jail is a shelter, a warm bed, 3 meals, well the risk of jail might not be much risk.
Giving homes to the homeless is the only sustainable solution to prevent crime
All other solutions either are not sustainable or may even promote criminal activity. Poverty crimes (crimes which are committed to get out of poverty) are encouraged by homelessness. If everyone has a home then everyone has something to lose. Going to jail or prison suddenly becomes worse than having your own bed, with privacy. Suddenly there is something to lose being in jail if you have clean water, a warm bed, and the basic necessities. If you also receive a basic income (UBI) then you have even more reason to follow the law because now you could lose your basic income if you do break the law.
In my small town, I've watched the community rally and provide shelters both wet (they can come in drugged and/or drunk) and dry. This was a big fail as there was absolutely no respect nor appreciation for these expensive facilities. As for basic income, it has been proven to be no more than a method for politicians to get votes as once someone received BI, there is zero incentive to find a job. Finland has called off their BI as the government appears to be responsible with tax payers $. Finland found no benefit either.
Love your posts!!!
yes, I've heard about such cases too..
homeless people just have appeared outside of life "ship" but they're still people, and it's a great pity not all countries take care of them
for example, in my city there're no shelters or any houses for them, and in winter, when it's cold, they try to get some warmth inside of buildings, under or upper living stores.
Sometimes people are afraid to see them,a nd they call police.. but what can they do with them? nothing. just lead them outside..
and the most awful fact is that many homeless people aren't alcochol-addicted or drug-addicted people, they've just had some tragedies or betrays or cheatting that have led to loss of their houses.
how to begin a new life from 0?
This is a very sad aspect of life. In Venezuela a lot of women have to prostitute themselves in order to survive. I don't think there's an easy solution. Many homeless people are mentally ill and unable to sustain jobs. If they don't have families able and willing to care for them, their situation is dire. Part of the solution will need to involve institutions that can provide care for the mentally ill. The homeless also include drug addicts. I'm not sure prison is the answer for dealing with that, and it seems an increasing part of the country is in favor of legalizing marijuana and ending the war on drugs.
There are also a substantial number of people who are homeless because they lost their jobs. Those are the ones who would be able to engage in gainful employment if jobs were available. Blue collar jobs and jobs that provide a living wage are becoming increasingly hard to find and that trend will only continue. I saw in interview with Mark Cuban recently, and he said it may be eventually necessary for the country to offer "make work" jobs to offer citizens gainful employment as a way of preventing rioting and social unrest. His Libertarian tendencies are opposed to that, but he believes providing those kinds of jobs is the better alternative. I would prefer providing those kinds of jobs to UBI.
Luxembourg has an UBI in everything but name (it's called a "Minimum Guaranteed Income") of 1777€ per month (about $2000). In 18 years here I've never seen anyone sleep rough around here.
Yeah basically that is what is happening in our society today. This is common especially in the surburbs, the rate of unemployment has left so many homeless and in the cause of this , the prison is the best resort . The prison is not an hotel and to get there a crime must be committed.
My country Nigeria is typical example of this, you see unemployment has driven lots of girls to the street to survive. Most unprivileged ladies in my country are night walkers and workers and this is getting out of hand cause it seems a profitable business for them
No this is a bad idea, though one is not to be blamed if that’s the only way out but engaging in illegal activities isn’t a way out either but what exactly is the way out?
Yeah I totally agree with you on this, you see in my own country , providing lost cost housings and employment would make the country a better place, my country.
Thank you for this amazing topic , bless your soul.
Homelessness is like a gateway drug, it leads to many unwanted situations, some of which maybe incriminating depending on the threshold of the person in question, and the harshness situation being faced.
However i will say homeless people are more susceptible to commit crimes
For example
Does the risk of being homeless motivate "hard work"?
Yes, one for fear of being homeless and everything that comes with it, and two, in search for and of a better life, meanwhile, if otherwise, the person in question feels already dejected or lost or has given up!
People need to face the fact that most homeless people are homeless for a good reason, the majority cannot be helped and should not be helped because they have no interest in improving their situation. It's very common for homeless to refuse housing/shelters because they want to do drugs, drink, come and go as they please etc etc and those places have rules and responsibilities. Stop looking at the homeless through a rosy lens....they are largely lazy/dumb/crappy people or mentally ill....you have to make a lot of bad decisions in life, and keep making them every day, to be perpetually homeless. You think they would work if you gave them a job? California has a huge homeless problem, and this whole theory of going to jail to get off the streets is 100% false, nobody does that, the homeless generally refuse free housing. Taxpayers are already paying a lot, and cities are being seriously impacted by the homeless. Go to San Fran where the homeless run wild, in the middle of the street yelling at people, crapping/pissing in the open, it's nasty and good hard working people should not have to deal with it.
Have you or has anyone in your family ever been homeless?
Whether i've met/known a homeless person is irrelevant...surely you've seen the intervention tv shows where a family member is living on the streets and refuses to live with a family member / receive aid/ clean up their act etc....that's a common scenario.
Anyone can end up homeless due to bad luck. Some people who are geniuses with post grad degrees ended up homeless after the 2008 recession. Some war veterans with PTSD end up homeless. It's not just people with pre-existing conditions and substance abuse problems.
There are women who end up homeless because their exes are abusive.
Many homeless people actually have jobs. Do you have any data evidence to support what you say?
How are you so certain that it is 100% false and that nobody does that? Do you interview anyone who is homeless at least who told you they would never do that?
Not 100% false but generally false because a large portion of homeless consistently refuse housing/shelters when such programs are provided, I've seen it happen many times in southern California including just recently...but that's just common knowledge anyway, nothing new.
I can’t say I wouldn’t do it, but I would say I would definitely head to Warmer climates at minimum. Those that stay in the cold climates, face more trouble for themselves, jail would definitely be the better option.
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Yes. Then there is the dynamic by which housing (specifically rental) for this population is inflated beyond wage-earning potential, which only makes it MORE CHALLENGING to get out of the ABYSMAL state of homelessness. Good post. Also, thanks for the nice upvote on my recent @mixedmentalarts client's "Lawarence Lessig" post. Let me also bring your attention to my other new client "Future Fossils" podcast post : https://steemit.com/dsound/@michaelgarfield/20180512t065946080z-future-fossils-podcast-72-ira-pastor-nervous-tissue-reanimation--the-future-of-curative-biotech I am sharing this with you BOTH because I know this is a topic in your sphere of interest (as you have written MANY posts on biotech) AND to help draw some awarness of this excellent podcast to some of the more serious/influential people on this platform. I hope you will enjoy if you get a chance to listen... TJ