Nancy Rimmer

Nancy Rimmer

November 18, 2024 | The Legal Intelligencer

Criminalization of Homelessness Is Not the Solution

This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Grants Pass v. Johnson, which upheld laws in the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, that prohibit people from sleeping outside on public property even when there are no available shelter beds. This disappointing and harmful decision allows cities to enforce civil and criminal penalties against individuals who have no choice but to sleep outside, despite the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

By Nancy Rimmer

3 minute read