Criminalization of poverty

The criminalization of poverty refers to the systemic practices and policies that disproportionately penalize individuals for behaviors associated with their economic status. This phenomenon manifests through various legal and social mechanisms that enforce penalties on those who are unable to meet basic needs due to poverty, leading to a cycle of criminalization and further marginalization.[1][2] Examples include fines and fees that the person is unable to pay,[3] anti-homelessness laws and actions,[4] and interconnections between welfare and criminal law.[5]

References

  1. ^ Larrison, Christopher R. (2020). "The Criminalization of Poverty". Social Work, Criminal Justice, and the Death Penalty (1st ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-093723-2.
  2. ^ Edelman, Peter (2022). "Criminalization of Poverty: Fines, Fees, Money Bail and Much More". The Routledge Companion to Media and Poverty (1st ed.). New York: Routledge. p. 11. doi:10.4324/9780429291333-37. ISBN 9780429291333.
  3. ^ Pager, Devah; Goldstein, Rebecca; Ho, Helen; Western, Bruce (2022). "Criminalizing Poverty: The Consequences of Court Fees in a Randomized Experiment". American Sociological Review. 87 (3): 529–553. doi:10.1177/00031224221075783. S2CID 247038184.
  4. ^ Herring, Chris; Yarbrough, Dilara; Marie Alatorre, Lisa (2019). "Pervasive Penality: How the Criminalization of Poverty Perpetuates Homelessness". Social Problems. 67 (1): 131–149. doi:10.1093/socpro/spz004.
  5. ^ Gustafson, Kaaryn (2008–2009). "The Criminalization of Poverty". Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. 99 (3): 643.

Further reading