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USA Today: Homeless People Aren't Criminals

New Column by Law Center Supporter Makes Case Against Criminalization

February 15, 2012

A new USA Today column by Arjun Sethi, a young attorney and member of the Law Center's Associates Advisory Council, leaves no room for debate: it's wrong to treat homeless persons like criminals.

Citing the Law Center's recent report, Criminalizing Crisis, Sethi identifies disturbing trends by cities across the country:

24 percent prohibit begging;
22 percent prohibit loitering; and
16 percent say it's illegal to sleep in public places.

This is morally deplorable and bad fiscal policy. Studies show that it costs $87 per day to jail someone, and just $28 per day for shelter.

To read the full article, click here.

To learn more about criminalization and how you can get involved in the fight to restore homeless persons' dignity, read our recent report here.