Being Homeless is Not a Crime

Expand People walk around the neighboring streets around the Fred Jordan Mission, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. May 12, 2018. © 2018 Reuters Local governments across the U.S. have been punishing people for being poor and not having a home. Is this not the definition of cruelty? On Dec. 16, the U.S. Supreme Court signaled its agreement by refusing to consider a petition to overturn the Ninth Circuit’s Martin v. City of Boise ruling. The case’s central holding is: “An ordinance violates the Eighth Amendment insofar as it imposes criminal sanctions against homeless individuals for sleeping…

© Human Rights Watch - jeudi 9 janvier 2020