Poster #47 - Criminal Justice Involvement as a Barrier on the Pathway out of Homelessness

• In Event: ASC Poster Session I

Abstract

How does contact with the Criminal Justice System affect homeless individuals’ efforts to achieve long-term stability in life? Studies have found that contact with the Criminal Justice System in the United States can seriously impact the lives of unhoused individuals. Gaps in the literature include a lack of intersectionality and diverse experiences, a lack of data on long-term outcomes, centering the lived experiences of the unhoused, and the role of mental health and substance use in stability efforts. The present study aims to fill these gaps by investigating how contact with police and the Criminal Justice System impacts the long-term stability of unhoused individuals.Data will be collected in the summer of 2025. Data will be collected by surveying (n=100) unhoused individuals and interviewing (n=15) unhoused individuals in Murfreesboro, TN, employing a mixed-methods approach to investigate the research question.

Author

• Chloe Davenport, Middle Tennessee State University