Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Criminalization of Homelessness

  • Chapter
Homelessness

Part of the book series: Topics in Social Psychiatry ((TSPS))

Abstract

Homeless persons have been described as exhibiting impressive rates of psychosocial pathology.1–5 A resurgence of interest in the relationship of mental illness to criminal behavior has been fueled by the substantial and possibly increasing proportions of jail and prison inmates with histories of mental illness and/or homelessness as well as by high rates of arrest and incarceration in homeless populations.6–14 Investigations are being conducted to determine whether mental illness has been “criminalized” as a consequence of deinstitutionalization and the reforms in involuntary commitment laws.11–12,15–18 This chapter examines the relationship among illegal behavior, mental illness, and homelessness through the study of arrests of homeless persons in Baltimore and interprets this relationship in light of historic and contemporary literature.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Bassuk EL, Lauriat A: Is homelessness a mental health problem? Am J Psychiatry 141:1546–1550, 1984.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Farr RK, Koegel P, Burnam AM: A Study of Homelessness and Mental Illness in the Skid Row Area of Los Angeles. Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fischer PJ, Shapiro S, Breakey WR, et al: Mental health and social characteristics of the homeless: A survey of mission users. Am J Pub Health 76(5):519–524, 1986.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Robertson MJ, Ropers RH, Boyer R: The Homeless of Los Angeles County: An Empirical Assessment. Los Angeles, University of California School of Public Health Psychiatric Epidemiology Program, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Roth D, Bean J, Lust N,et al: Homelessness in Ohio: A Study of People in Need. Columbus, Ohio, Department of Mental Health, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Freeman SJJ, Formo A, Alampur AG, et al: Psychiatric disorder in a skid-row mission population. Compr Psych 32(l):21–27, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Fischer PJ: Criminal behavior and victimization in the homeless: A review of the literature, in Jahiel R (ed): Homelessness: A Prevention-Oriented Approach. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press, in press.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Goldsmith MF: From mental hospitals to jails: The pendulum swings. JAMA 250(22):3017–3018, 1983.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. James JF, Gregory D, Jones RK, et al: Psychiatric morbidity in prisons. Hosp Community Psychiatry 31(10):674–677, 1980.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ladner S, Crystal S, Towber R, et al: Project Future: Focusing, Understanding and Targeting Substance Abusers and Employables. New York, Department of Health and Human Services, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Lamb HR: Deinstitutionalization and the homeless mentally ill. Hosp and Community Psychiatry 35(9):899–907, 1984.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Lamb HR, Grant RW: The mentally ill in an urban county jail. Arch Gen Psychiatry 39:17–22, 1982.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Swank GE, Winer D: Occurrence of psychiatric disorder in a county jail population. Am J Psychiatry 133(11):1331–1333, 1976.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Task Force on Emergency Shelter: Homelessness in Chicago. Chicago, Department of Human Services, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Lamb HR, Grant RW: Mentally Ill women in a county jail. Arch Gen Psychiatry 40(4):363–368, 1983.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Teplin, LA: The criminalization of the mentally ill: Speculation in search of data. Psychol Bull 94(l):54–67, 1983.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Whitmer, GE: From hospitals to jails: The fate of California’s deinstitutionalized mentally ill. Am J Orthopsychiatry 50(1):65–75, 1980.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Zitrin A, Hardesty S, Burdock E, et al: Crime and violence among mental patients. Am J Psychiatry 133(2):142–149, 1976.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Fischer PJ: Arrests of homeless people: A public health problem? Presented at the 113th annual meeting of the American Public Association, November 17-21, 1985, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  20. US Bureau of the Census: General Population Characteristics: Maryland. Washington, DC, US Department of Commerce, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Federal Bureau of Investigation: Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook. Washington, DC, US Department of Justice, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Kroll J, Carey D, Hagedorn D, et al: A survey of homeless adults in urban emergency shelters. Hosp Community Psychiatry 37(3):283–286, 1986.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Morse G, Shields NM, Hanneke CR, et al: Homeless People in St. Louis: A Mental Health Program Evaluation, Field Study and Follow-Up Investigation. Jefferson City, Missouri, Department of Mental Health, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Rosnow MJ, Shaw T, Concord CS: Listening to the homeless: A study of homeless mentally ill persons in Milwaukee. Psychosoc Rehab J 9(40):64–77, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Schutt RK, Garrett GR: Homeless in Boston in 1985: The View from Long Island. Boston, University of Massachusetts, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Solarz A: An examination of criminal behavior among the homeless. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, November 13-17, 1985, San Diego.

    Google Scholar 

  27. McGarrell E, Flanagan T: Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics—1984. Washington, DC, US Department of Justice, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Crystal S, Goldstein M: The Homeless in New York City Shelters. New York, Human Resources Administration, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Fischer PJ, Breakey WR: Profile of the Baltimore homeless with alcohol problems. Alcohol Health and Research World, 2(3):36–37, 61, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Koegel P, Burnam MA: Traditional and nontraditional homeless alcoholics. Alcohol Health and Research World, 2(3):28–33, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Town D, Marchetti AG: The Impact of Homelessness on Atlanta. Atlanta, Research Atlanta, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Brown C, MacFarlane S, Paredes R, et al: The Homeless of Phoenix. Phoenix, Phoenix South Community Mental Health Center, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Fischer PJ, Breakey WR: Homelessness and mental health: An overview. Internatl J Mental Health 14(4):6–41, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Fischer PJ, Breakey WR, Shapiro S, et al: Baltimore mission users: Social networks, morbidity and employment. Psychosocial Rehab J 9(4):51–63, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Ball FLJ, Havassy BE: A survey of the problems and needs of homeless consumers of acute psychiatric services. Hosp Community Psychiatry 35(9):917–921, 1984.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Larew BI: Strange strangers: Serving transients. Social Casework, February 1980, pp 107-113.

    Google Scholar 

  37. McGerigle P, Lauriat AS: More than Shelter: A Community Response to Homelessness. Boston, United Community Planning Corporation, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Cumming E: Prisons, shelters and homeless men. Psychiatr Q 48:496–504, 1974.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Pollak B: The vagrant alcoholic. Proc R Soc Med 68:13–16, 1975.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Blumberg L, Shipley TE, Barsky SF: Liquor and Poverty: Skid Row as a Human Condition. New Brunswick, Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies, 1978.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Gunn J: Prisons, shelters and homeless men. Psychiatr Q 48:505–512, 1974.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Halikas JA, Lyttle MD, Morse C: Skid row alcoholism—an objective definition for use in detoxification and treatment planning. J Clin Psychiatry 45:214–216, 1984.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Harris S: Skid Row, USA. New York, Doubleday, 1956.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Maitra AK: Dealing with disadvantaged single homeless: Are we doing enough? Public Health London 96:141–144, 1982.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Bachrach LL: Young adult chronic patients: An analytic review of literature. Hosp Community Psychiatry 33(3):189–197, 1982.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA

    Pamela J. Fischer

Authors
  1. Pamela J. Fischer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Research Institute of San Francisco, Institute of Epidemiology and Behavioral Medicine, Alcohol Research Group, 2000 Hearst Avenue, Berkeley, California, 94709, USA

    Marjorie J. Robertson Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, and San Fernando Valley Program in Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 90024, USA

    Milton Greenblatt M.D.

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Olive View Medical Center, Sylmar, California, 91342-1495, USA

    Milton Greenblatt M.D.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Fischer, P.J. (1992). The Criminalization of Homelessness. In: Robertson, M.J., Greenblatt, M. (eds) Homelessness. Topics in Social Psychiatry. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0679-3_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0679-3_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0681-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0679-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation