San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan's 'Responsibility to Shelter' policy aims to arrest homeless individuals for trespassing after refusing shelter offers. However, the lack of a clear implementation plan raises concerns among Santa Clara officials and experts. Critics, including a retired judge, argue this approach may not connect individuals to the needed treatment due to state laws preventing incarceration for nonviolent misdemeanors and a shortage of mental health resources. The absence of available treatment beds challenges the effectiveness of this policy, which is already under scrutiny for its misguided nature.
"This proposal is misguided. It will not achieve its stated objective," retired Judge Richard Loftus, who used to sit on the Behavioral Health Court, wrote in a letter to the San Jose City Council.
Since Mahan rolled out his 'Responsibility to Shelter' policy in March, Santa Clara County officials and a former judge have pushed back on the plan that citing homeless people for trespassing will get them connected to the county's Behavioral Health Court and into treatment.
Collection
[
|
...
]