According to a study by Baltimore’s Center for Poverty Solutions, 50% of those interviewed at soup kitchens and drop-in centers had been incarcerated, many for public urination, loitering, sleeping outdoors, and other nonviolent crimes that stemmed from being homeless. Of those incarcerated, 93% had been arrested for non-violent crimes, 41% received no services while incarcerated, and 70% received no assistance after their release.
Learning Inc. students examined this relationship between homelessness and prisoners in a two-week unit and came up with the following plans.
1. Problem: Homeless people get arrested for non violent crimes have a criminal record.
Plan-Change the law so that non-violent misdemeanors are not on their criminal record (so preventing them from having a difficult time getting a job or home)
In order to do this I will need to:
• Talk to the police force
• Contact a law firm
• Write a petition and get as many people as I can to sign it
• Lobby in Annapolis
2. Problem: When homeless are discharged from jail they don’t have any place to go.
Plan: Open up more shelters for released inmates
In order to do this I will need to:
• Get the government to help me out
• Get a large shelter built with 100 rooms
• When the prisoners are released have the jail bus bring them to this shelter
• Supply them with shelter and food by stocking up supplies from stores
• Talk to them on what would be a good career for them in the future and prepare
them with job readiness classes
• Teach them how to pay bills, how to get credit cards, a job and other things needed
for the future
• Plan/Requirements for Shelter
a. Must be employed within three months
b. Once they are hired, help them try to get apartment
• Let them go when they are ready to have an apartment of their own.
• Check in with them every 3 months for the next 2 years by keeping track of where
they are so we can make sure they will not become homeless again