There is an undeniable link between homelessness and incarceration. In some cases, it is a straightforward link. For example, in 2022, 40 percent of released prisoners returning to New York City went straight into one of the city’s homeless accommodation facilities.
Statistics from the Prison Policy Initiative show a single incarceration event makes an individual seven times more likely to experience homelessness than the general public. For those with multiple incarcerations, this risk surges to 13 times, perpetuating a challenging cycle that is exceedingly difficult to break free from.
Unsheltered people are exposed to high contact with the justice system. Most cities effectively make it illegal to be homeless through a web of laws allowing people to be incarcerated for minor offenses. These may include loitering, public urination, obstructing pedestrian traffic, etc. Studies show that compared to those in shelters, unsheltered individuals can have 10 times the police contacts and seven times the incarceration events.
“Choosing” Incarceration Over Homelessness
The natural assumption would be that incarceration is always the undesirable outcome for the individual concerned. Nevertheless, there are accounts of individuals intentionally engaging in criminal activities to be apprehended and incarcerated.
A 2022 article published in the Guardian describes how a Spokane man experiencing homelessness intentionally sabotaged his own trial to evade spending the winter months without shelter on the streets. The previous year, a man in Indiana declined a hospital discharge until he was arrested. In 2019, a man in Mississippi broke windows to spend the winter’s night in jail, and in 2018, someone robbed four banks to be sure of an extended prison stay.
Those working in the justice system and aligned with homelessness services say the phenomenon is well-known but not openly spoken of. Many caution that “choice” is a misnomer, saying options are limited. They say individuals experiencing homelessness would likely choose housing over prison if the option were available. (Often, a criminal record precludes individuals and their families from public housing.)
The Benefits of Incarceration Over Homeless Shelters
You might wonder about shelters. Do they not offer a more comfortable middle ground? Regrettably, in numerous instances, they do not. In major centers, shelters are often inadequate and underfunded. Residents aren’t guaranteed a bed, and there is very little privacy or security. Prescriptive rules may make residents feel as if they’re “imprisoned,” and conditions can be unsanitary.
In comparison, inmates are guaranteed shelter from the elements for the duration of their sentence, sometimes in a room of their own. They get three meals a day, free medical treatment, opportunities to further their education, and treatment for substance abuse. In some communities, prisoners are almost guaranteed to find friends and family incarcerated alongside them, thus providing them with valuable social interaction often denied to the unhoused.
Prisons as Mental Health Institutions
Over the last six decades, most of the country’s public mental health facilities have closed. With nothing to replace the community healthcare systems, close to a third of adult Americans with mental health issues receive treatment due to contact with law enforcement. If they’re declared incompetent to stand trial, it can often mean they’re incarcerated for unconstitutionally long periods before being tried.
Currently, the country’s three largest mental health institutions are prisons: LA County, Cook County, and New York City’s Rikers Island jail. Elizabeth Hancq of the Treatment Advocacy Center says, “Local jails and prisons have become the de facto mental health institutions. It’s really a humanitarian crisis that if you suffer from a severe mental illness in this country, you almost need to commit a crime in order to get into the system.”
But prison isn’t a conducive environment for the treatment of mental illness. Studies show that for low-risk individuals with mental health issues, incarceration doubles the likelihood of them being re-incarcerated, perpetuating the cycle.
Parole Services Are Not Adequate Reentry Support
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the US spends $81 billion yearly on mass incarceration. However, a 2017 estimate by the Prison Policy Initiative puts the actual figure at closer to $182 billion. (Its calculations consider state and federal government costs and the impacts on affected families.)
Unfortunately, little of this money is channeled into reentry programs that might address recidivism. Often, available support comes in the form of grants that require continuous reapplication, making them an unreliable source of assistance. Consequently, the burden of parole service costs may ultimately fall upon the released prisoner. Rather than aiding their integration, the expenses associated with the process can exacerbate their challenges. Combined with housing insecurity and the stress of being continually under surveillance, these factors frequently contribute to individuals breaking their parole.
Some states are shifting their focus (and funds) to reentry programs to break the homelessness-incarceration cycle. In some cases, reentry divisions have been created as part of correctional services. The new programs try to address the released prisoner’s needs, shifting the emphasis of parole from surveillance to rehabilitation through initiatives like government-funded housing for ex-convicts and their families. Over time, they hope to make life “on the outside” more attractive than returning to prison.