Hit While They're Down
The Cycle of Homeless Incarceration
The connection between incarceration and homelessness in Portland, and across the nation, creates a harsh cycle that traps vulnerable individuals in systemic instability. People released from jails and prisons face a nearly ten times higher likelihood of experiencing homelessness than the general public. The more times it happens the chances of a way out become exponentially harder. As judgmental creatures and a system built of reputation, this grim reality fuels a "revolving door" effect: housing instability increases the chances of re-arrest and re-incarceration, while release from prison significantly elevates the risk of becoming homeless. This cycle is often exacerbated by local policies that criminalize basic survival behaviors for unhoused individuals, such as sleeping in public spaces.
Individuals experiencing homelessness, especially those with a history of incarceration, simply confront more obstacles. With criminal record checks and the general rental system, landlords and housing agencies have become increasingly shady and particular in their requirements, which is almost guaranteed to be discriminatory towards individuals with criminal backgrounds and very low income. Coupled with limited job prospects and a lack of savings, this makes securing stable housing incredibly difficult. Personal stories from Portland highlight the severe impact of these challenges; Ibrahim, for example, reported constant harassment from police for sleeping in public, leading to debilitating exhaustion. Similarly, Mel, a teacher experiencing homelessness in Eugene, struggled daily to find a shower and get to work on time due to sleep deprivation and fear of losing her job. Beyond physical hardship, criminalization also incurs heavy fines and fees, which are often impossible for unhoused individuals to pay, leading to mounting debt and further entanglement with the justice system.
Breaking this cycle requires a shift from punitive measures to compassionate, evidence-based solutions. "Housing First" strategies are crucial, emphasizing that stable housing is a foundational step before other interventions like substance use disorder treatment or mental health support can be effectively addressed. Everybody needs a place to sleep. I think it's an important part of mental security. Implementing legislation like the "Right to Rest Act" could protect the rights of unhoused individuals to sleep and rest in public and preempt local anti-homeless laws. Supportive housing is often significantly less expensive than incarceration, making it a more fiscally responsible approach. Ultimately, addressing the underlying causes of homelessness, such as the severe shortage of affordable housing, low wages, and inadequate social safety nets, alongside policy changes and public education, is essential to create a more humane and effective system. We need to help eachother, if we live in a system that is targeting those who can't easily help themselves, then we need to combat that system, because the world is not gonna spin any smoother if we aren't compassionate enough to change things for the better, for the future. There is no future for people if they're never given a real chance to change
Sources Researched
aclu-decriminalizing-homelessness_full-report_web_final.pdf (pdf not included but sourced)
https://www.vera.org/publications/no-access-to-justice-homelessness-and-jail
https://www.reddit.com/r/Portland/comments/1c6s0c4/what_portland_area_officials_say_theyll_do/.
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