Innovative Program Helps the Homeless Get Treatment March 7, 2003
Communities in Action When homeless people incur violations for being drunk or high in public, they usually find accessing the legal system to be a daunting proposition. They don't have transportation, don't know when they are supposed to appear, and they feel uncomfortable among "the suits" in the halls of justice. Penalties pile up and eventually, they face hundreds of dollars in fines or possible jail time.To combat the problem, the city of San Jose, Calif., started Outreach Court, a weekend court session for homeless people at an Emergency Housing Consortium shelter, the San Jose Mercury News reported on March 2.
Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Jerome Nadler presides over Outreach Court. Defendants volunteer to participate, and Emergency Housing Consortium caseworkers and county public defenders help prepare them for court. Nadler hears many misdemeanor cases, such as petty theft, jaywalking, or being drunk in public. He often dismisses fines and orders more appropriate penalties, such as treatment or community service.
Alexander Aguilar, a 42-year-old shelter resident with drug problems, faced a six-month jail sentence for being under the influence of PCP. Judge Nadler ordered him to complete a drug treatment program, and emphasized that if he drops out of the program, he will have to go to jail.
"Now I can keep my job because I can do the drug program as an outpatient," said Aguilar, who works at a San Jose auto body shop. "If I had to go to jail, I'd lose my job. And this will give me a chance to clean up my act."
Anna Maggi, another Outreach Court participant said, "This gives you back your self-esteem. You feel like a person again. We're not criminals. We're just poor."
For more information about Outreach Court, contact the Emergency Housing Consortium at 408-294-2100.
