Which State Will Be First to Pass Homeless Hate Crime Protection?

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-04-17 17:47:00 UTC
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Maryland is on track to be the first state in the union to count homeless individuals in groups covered by hate crime protection. If this bill is signed into law by the state's democratic governor, it will be a noteworthy and appropriate acknowledgment of the disproportionately cruel violence experienced by those without a home. Bravo, Maryland!

Here are the details from the Washington Post:

The groundbreaking measure, championed by one of the legislature's most conservative Republicans, was approved in the House of Delegates four minutes before the General Assembly adjourned at midnight Monday. O'Malley (D) is reviewing the bill, which also adds penalties for violent crimes against people targeted because of their gender or disability.

Advocates called the law a symbolic and practical victory in the absence of similar protections in federal law and spoke of the often vicious crimes against the homeless. The D.C. Council is considering similar legislation. Maine gives judges discretion in sentencing for crimes against the homeless, and Alaska includes them in its vulnerable victims statute. A conviction in Maryland for a violent crime will carry an additional sentence of up 20 years and a $20,000 fine.

There's certainly a need for such legislation. As homelessness has increased, so hasn't the prevalence and cruelty of the attacks, particularly among young people. Here's a snippet from an earlier post I wrote about this topic: 

From 2002 to 2005, hate crimes against the homeless increased 300%. Fatal attacks rose by 67%. A new study found that this number has increased even more - 65% - since 2005.

Perhaps the most alarming element of these crimes, beyond the cruelty of the abuse, is that overwhelmingly the attackers are teenagers and young adults. In Florida, the problem is so severe (23% of violent crimes reported in 2007 occurred in Florida) that "the National Coalition for the Homeless is setting up speakers bureaus to address a culture that sees attacking the homeless as a sport," according to the NY Times.

All eyes on Maryland as we watch and wait... stay tuned!

 

 

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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