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Is prison a realistic alternative for a homeless person?
Consider a hypothetical situation, what if I am homeless and sleeping in an alley with cardboard sheets for blankets and no prospects of improvement. I survive on handouts from an occasional kind person but I live in constant fear of being beat up by some random malicious person for fun or having my few possessions stolen or lit on fire. Would I be better off in prison where at least I would have food and shelter and laundry and bathroom facilities and medical care?
What if I committed a non-violent crime like damage to property or arson or car theft or petty theft that will get me a sentence of a few months just to get thru the cold winter, is that realistic or is it a bad idea? Would I be better or worse off serving a short prison sentence or the same?
8 Answers
- STEVEN FLv 72 years agoFavorite Answer
Most homeless people fit into one of too broad categories.
1. Those that use available resources to improve their situation, and wouldn't even THINK of going to prison.
2. Those that actually CHOSE to be homeless.
There are VERY few that think they fit into the even smaller group you propose.
- Common SenseLv 72 years ago
There are homeless criminals who are very savvy and will commit repeated crimes so they are sentenced to a correction facility during the cold winter months. They commit petty crimes such as store theft or trespassing or other non violent crimes that will not put them in a prison atmosphere with high security and scary cell mates.
- marzmargs12Lv 62 years ago
No, it's stigma you are living with that homeless people have some kind of invisible label. Prisoners are inside because they committed an offence. They are not nice to share a cell with.You need a housing charity like SHELTER and then you can find a job with some income.There are people with resources who can help you achieve.Please do not consider committing crime just because you believe that prison is a better place. It really isn't. M.
- Anonymous2 years ago
A prison record would be with you for the rest of your life and you'd find getting a job and accommodation extremely hard to get. It is always best to stay out of prison.
- BenLv 62 years ago
The institutional equivalent of what you're thinking of is a shelter. Find one. In prison you would have to give up your freedoms, but staying in a shelter at least allows you to roam the streets.
