Mean Streets: Criminalisation of Homelessness in Poland
By Lukasz Browarczyk, Research and Publications Coordinator in Pomorskie Forum na rzecz Wychodzenia z Bezdomnosci.
First paragraphs:
Social science research on homelessness shows that a number of people sleeping rough have experienced imprisonment. The fact that these instances may be considered causes of homelessness or only short episodes in the lives of people experiencing homelessness is of no significance here. What matters, however, is whether they resulted directly from homelessness. In other words, it is crucial to determine whether homeless people were penalised merely for the fact that they were homeless. In this discussion of the penalisation of homelessness I will first present the legislative aspect of homelessness, followed by a discussion of the public’s image of a homeless person and its consequences. Next, I will focus on the policy and methods used by railway stations’ authorities towards homeless people on station premises. Finally, I will present the most important aspects of street homelessness and methods used to cope with this problem in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. This should give a clear picture of the issue of homelessness penalisation in Poland.
You may find the Chapter on the following link. Please do not hesitate to comment on social media using the following hashtag: #MeanStreets
