Myths, Lies, and Mercy

Exposing the forces that perpetuate and criminalize homelessness

Criminalization

Criminalization / Myths and Lies

Guilty

“He’s gonna take the police officer’s word over yours nine times out of ten.”   Patrick returned to the courtroom pew where I was sitting and informed me that he’d be changing his plea from ‘not guilty’ to ‘no contest’ upon the advice of the bailiff. “But you’re not guilty!” I said, the volume of my voice not really qualifying as a whisper anymore. “I know. But what can I do? He’s right.”   Patrick was in the city center one evening engaged in his work with the street paper when someone came up and took a seat beside him. This individual had been drinking and wasn’t yet done. That’s when the officer came up, took Patrick’s new bench neighbor away for public intoxication, and issued Patrick a citation for violating the open container ordinance. I had come along to court with Patrick in support and to vouch for his...

Criminalization

October Arrests that Typically Affect Those in Poverty and Homelessness

  This data is collected from the public release of arrests made within each 24-hour interval by the Knox County, (Tennessee) Sheriff’s Office, and the University of Tennessee, (Knoxville, TN) Police Department’s 60-day arrest log. The accuracy of this data relies upon the accuracy of the source. I should emphasize that these are counts of arrests, and not convictions. There’s no guarantee of course, that the individuals represented in this data are experiencing poverty and/or homelessness. There are, however, a number of the infractions that are fairly obvious – Criminal Trespassing, Aggressive Panhandling, or Panhandling in a restricted space, Obstruction of a Passageway, Indecent Exposure, (no access to an indoor restroom) Shoplifting, Public Intox, (often accompanied by Disorderly Conduct) and Resisting Stop and Search. A person with no home is only doing what most of us would do These are infractions that are either committed by people with little to...

Criminalization

Rest In Peace

  “Homeless man found dead had been arrested 92 times” I remember, not long ago, our local paper reporting the discovery of a body found underneath a downtown overpass. I read the account that morning and immediately knew that it was one of our neighborhood friends who live outside in the open spaces. Throughout the day I took note of who I had not seen while wondering who it was that I would never see again. These days are always the hardest. That night I laid awake thinking of this person living and dying outside the relational structures of our community, while seeking their last place of shelter in and underneath our concrete structures. My last thoughts were filled with wondering did they have last thoughts. As the sound of the traffic rushed overhead, did they know that the thoughts they were having were to be their last, or if...