Jacketta 1

Abigail Jacketta

Burr

English 2010

April 2018

Homelessness and Incarceration

What is the connection between homelessness and incarceration?

Both homelessness and incarceration are social endemics in the United States that receive

high rates of media and government attention each year, but the unexplored link between the

two, while equally important, is often overlooked. Homelessness and incarceration have a

bi-directional correlation: homelessness is an indicator of increased likelihood of past and future

incarcerations, and incarceration is an indicator of increased likelihood of past and future

homelessness. According to an article in the journal ​Psychiatric Services​, “Recent homelessness

was 7.5 to 11.3 times more common among jail inmates than in the general population”

(Greenberg and Rosenheck 170-177). Conversely, a National Survey of Homeless Assistance

Providers and Clients, completed by the United States Office of the Assistant Secretary for

Planning and Evaluation, among other Congressional offices, showed that among homeless

adults, 49 percent had served time in jail, 4 percent had served time in a military institution, and

18 percent had served time at a federal facility (“Incarceration and Homelessness”). The high

rates of overlap between these populations indicate a systemic failure within the United States to

successfully re-enter inmates into the general community and to treat homelessness effectively.
 Jacketta 2

Who is disproportionately affected by the homelessness-incarceration relationship?

Homeless individuals, by nature of their public lifestyle, are already more likely to be

incarcerated than populations that are securely housed; certain populations within the homeless

community, however, are at an even greater risk of incarceration. Foremost among these

populations are those who suffer from mental illness. A study conducted by the U.S. Office of

Justice Programs found that in the United States, more than half of all incarcerated individuals

suffered from a mental health problem to some extent (“Mental Health Problems of Prison and

Jail Inmates”), and about 8 percent of all incarcerated individuals suffer from a severe mental

illness, according to an article in the journal ​Psychiatric Services​ (Morrissey et al. 794-801). The

overrepresentation of the mentally ill within the justice system has come to be viewed by some

as a second wave of deinstitutionalization—a term traditionally used to describe the exodus of

psychiatric patients into the community, which caused persons with mental illness to figure

prominently among the homeless population starting in the 1980s. This movement of the

mentally ill population—from psychiatric wards into the community, and now into the justice

system—suggests a historical and current failure within the United States to effectively address

mental illness. Other populations within the homeless community who are especially vulnerable

to incarceration include: runaway and homeless youth (Ferguson et al. 233-238) and veterans

(Tejani et al. 514-519).

 Jacketta 3

What social processes contribute to the homelessness-incarceration link?

Two main social processes, re-entry problems and the criminalization of homelessness,

contribute to the unfortunate relationship between homelessness and incarceration.

The term “re-entry problems” refers to the distinct disadvantage of those reentering the

community after a period of incarceration have in finding reliable income, housing, and

health-care. According to a study led by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and

Evaluation, if a former inmate will become homeless after incarceration, this episode of

homelessness is most likely to occur within 30 days of reentering the community (“Incarceration

and Homelessness”). This suggests a failure in the current policies of transition between prison

and civilian life. The reason for this failure is a lack of jurisdictional clarity regarding recently

released prisoners. Prisons regard their jurisdiction over a prisoner to be terminated at discharge,

but community assistance programs will not consider prisoners for assistance programs until they

have officially entered the community, as they are not technically homeless while in prison;

however, Christian Sarver, a senior research analyst for the University of Utah College of Social

Work, is optimistic about the future of this jurisdictional gap; she says, “In Utah, and elsewhere

in the United States, there is a big push to close this gap. A new Utah law, passed just recently in

2017, will assign social workers to stay with a prisoner throughout their transition. I think the

effects of this law will take a while to come to light, but we will start seeing an improvement in

re-entry here soon” (Sarver).

The criminalization of homelessness is another social process that contributes to the

relationship between incarceration and homelessness. A joint study completed by the United

States Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, among other Congressional
 Jacketta 4

offices, states, “Many aspects of homeless

life have become restricted and

‘criminalized,’ to where acts of subsistence

and survival, especially in public places, are

illegal and can lead to incarceration”

(“Incarceration and Homelessness”). The

fines and misdemeanors incurred by public

living, coupled with the fact that the nature

of homelessness causes the homeless to

work poorly within the justice system—lack

of transport is not conducive to meeting

court dates, irregular income makes it

difficult to pay fines by a deadline, etc—can

lead to more serious charges, ending in

incarceration.

(National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty)

 Jacketta 5

What actions are required to interrupt both homelessness and incarceration?

Historically, actions have been taken against homelessness and incarceration

individually, without widespread efforts to address their intersection specifically. However, this

link is beginning to come to the edge of social consciousness, and research and recommendations

are being presented. In a 2012 policy statement, the National Health Care for the Homeless

Council views homelessness and incarceration as entwined social phenomena and gives the

following recommendations for the alleviation of these conditions as one unit:

1. Decriminalize the condition of homelessness by repealing federal, state, and

local statutes that criminalize life-sustaining activities performed in public spaces

that are permissible in the privacy of a home.

2. Ensure continuity of health care for persons detained by criminal justice

authorities, including appropriate treatment for addictions, mental illness, and

other chronic conditions.

3. Ban discrimination against exiting prisoners in housing, employment, and

voter registration.

4. Invest in and expand re-entry programs that help individuals transition more

successfully back into their community. (“Criminal Justice, Homelessness &

Health.”)

These recommendations address both re-entry problems and the criminalization of

homelessness, and encourage active expansion of the services available to the incarcerated

population. If these policies were to be adopted by local and federal agencies, it is expected that,

over time, jail and prison populations would decrease as the homeless population becomes less
 Jacketta 6

likely to be arrested for living crimes; recidivism of former inmates would decrease as they are

accepted back into society without facing housing, employment, and voter registration

discrimination; and health of both populations would benefit as disruptions in health care due to

incarceration are minimized.

Conclusion

Understanding the link between homelessness and incarceration is the first step in

addressing the complex social processes that lead to high rates of incarceration among the

homeless population and high rates of homelessness among those who have been incarcerated.

Although each social phenomenon—homelessness and incarceration—has been studied and

addressed in depth, more research, and subsequently, action, is needed in addressing their

relationship.
 Jacketta 7

Works Cited

Ferguson, Kristin M., et al. “Exploration of Arrest Activity among Homeless Young Adults in

Four U.S. Cities.” Social Work Research, vol. 36, no. 3, 1 Sept. 2012, pp. 233–238.,

doi:10.1093/swr/svs023.

Greenberg, Greg A., and Robert A. Rosenheck. “Jail Incarceration, Homelessness, and Mental

Health: A National Study.” Psychiatric Services, vol. 59, no. 2, Feb. 2008, pp. 170–177.,

doi:10.1176/ps.2008.59.2.170.

Morrissey, Joseph P., et al. “The Role of Medicaid Enrollment and Outpatient Service Use in Jail

Recidivism Among Persons With Severe Mental Illness.” Psychiatric Services, vol. 58,

no. 6, June 2007, pp. 794–801., doi: 10.1176/ps.2007.58.6.794.

National Coalition for the Homeless. “Hate Crimes Against The Homeless: America's Growing

Tide of Violence.” Nationalhomeless.org, National Coalition for the Homeless, Aug.

2010,​ ​www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/hatecrimes/hatecrimes2009.pdf​.

National Health Care for the Homeless Council. “Criminal Justice, Homelessness & Health.”

www.nhchc.org, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, 2012,

www.nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Criminal-Justice-2012.pdf​.

National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. “Housing Not Handcuffs.” Www.nlchp.org,

www.nlchp.org/documents/Housing-Not-Handcuffs​.

Sarver, Christian. Personal interview. 12 April 2018.

Tejani, N., et al. “Incarceration Histories of Homeless Veterans and Progression Through a

National Supported Housing Program.” Community Mental Health Journal, vol. 50, no.

5, July 2014, pp. 514–519., doi:10.1007/s10597-013-9611-9.

 Jacketta 8

United States, Congress, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Office of

Human Services Policy Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,

Office of Policy Development and Research, et al. “Incarceration and Homelessness.”

Incarceration and Homelessness, 2007, pp. 9–1-9–31. Toward Understanding

Homelessness: The 2007 National Symposium on Homelessness Research,

www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/homeless/homeless_symp_07.html​.

United States, Congress, Office of Justice Programs, et al. “Mental Health Problems of Prison

and Jail Inmates.” Mental Health Problems of Prison and Jail Inmates, Bureau of Justice

Statistics, 12 Dec. 2006.​ ​www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/mhppji.pdf​.