Fined for Sleeping in the Woods?

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-08-30 19:00:00 UTC
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In a move that defies comprehension, a U.S. District court judge has ordered a Wyoming homeless man to pay $50 for sleeping in the woods. That's right, the federal government is fining a man for not having anywhere else to sleep. This story begs the question: How low can we go?

According to CBS4 in Denver, camping in the Bridger-Teton National Forest is limited to five days. On Thursday, Raymond James, a self-described homeless man, was charged for exceeding this limit and fined in federal court.

This seemingly simple story leaves my mind racing with questions: Does anyone really believe that illegalizing homelessness will make it go away? Don't we all have a right to be in public spaces? Where is one to stay when housing is out of financial reach and even our forests are off limits to the poor? And finally, are you as angry as I am?

Here's a novel idea: Rather than using the resources necessary to criminalize James for his "atrocious" act of being homeless in the woods, why not connect him to the resources he really needs? Case management, housing placement, job search assistance, etc. Going through with this trial will not improve James' situation one bit.

Moreover, it sends a cruel message to everyone across the U.S. experiencing a personal crisis. We can do better than this.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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