My name is Kaysie and I am a formerly homeless individual who was charged multiple times with different "crimes" relating to me being homeless. These so-called "crimes" are charges for things that are mere violations under state statute, not arrestable offenses of law, and are punishing homeless individuals for simply being homeless. This is more punishing than the homelessness itself. Here is an example:

In January (2023), I had been at my local Compass House doing laundry, taking a shower, and doing job search. While there, I unfortunately had to leave my service dog at my camp with a friend. However, midway through the day I got a message on Facebook stating that the local PD had not only taken all of my property, but had taken my dog as well. I proceeded to make my way to the police station to figure out what was going on, and at that time I was unconstitutionally arrested on a "Prohibited Camping" ticket, resulting in the charge of a Class A misdemeanor. During this arrest, I was denied the right to call my attorney, and was assaulted by the arresting officer, who strangled me with my own sweater as I was having a PTSD-related panic attack. I was then transported to the county jail, where I was held for 12 days, without bail of any kind. This was the longest 12 days of my life, as I had multiple mental breakdowns, was refused appropriate access to care (counseling & PCP prescribed medications), and was medically mistreated by jail staff. Worse still, the judge presiding over the case shouldn't even have been hearing any case involving me because of a prior conflict of interest. Ultimately, I was separated from my service animal for well over a month, because in order to prevent the permanent loss of my service animal (under Jackson County's unfair policies), my father had to travel from out of town, paying over $200 just to get my dog out of the pound, and spent probably close to another $200 to care for my animal for that time. These costs do not even include the amount that my father had to spend in gas to both come get my dog and to return him to me. This not only disproportionately impacted myself, but also negatively impacted my father & other family members financially.

Punishing an individual for being homeless by charging them with a crime is detrimental to their overall well-being, with each charge making it more & more difficult for a person to become housed, thereby ultimately preventing them from achieving a balanced state of being. The criminalization of homelessness does nothing to solve the problem; instead it exacerbates it by creating additional barriers for those trying to escape their situation. Under the U.S. Constitution, this is a direct violation of the 8th amendment protection against cruel & unusual punishment. However, in Jackson County (Oregon), where I reside, this issue is not unique to me, but affects many others who find themselves without a home. It's an alarming reality that needs immediate attention and action.

According to the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP), over 187 cities across America have made it illegal to beg in public places and more than half have banned sleeping in public – an increase from just 5 years ago (source: NLCHP report). This trend towards criminalizing behaviors associated with living unsheltered is not only unconstitutional, but also ineffective at reducing homelessness.

We must urge our local government officials in not only Jackson County, but throughout the state of Oregon, and eventually those at the national level as well, to stop penalizing individuals for their lack of housing and instead focus on providing supportive services that can help them transition out of homelessness. We need policies that respect human dignity and constitutional rights rather than ones which further marginalize our most vulnerable citizens.

Please sign this petition if you believe we should end the criminalization of homelessness in Oregon. Thank you.