The homeless will have their say in a new monthly Homeless Community Court, to be funded by a $458,000 grant from the County of Los Angeles.
The funding will provide a year’s worth of services and housing for 120 “unduplicated eligible chronically homeless individuals with open citations or warrants for certain offenses committed in Santa Monica as well as those already engaged with local service providers, but for whom citations and warrants are interfering with their ability to move forward toward greater self-sufficiency,” a city staff report said.
The pilot program is modeled on the therapeutic justice model which hopes to establish commitment from chronically homeless offenders, increasing their accountability as well as decreasing their interaction with the justice system.
The court will specialize in certain crimes specific to the homeless, including sleeping in doorways, lying down on the Promenade and camping. Support systems will be offered for those whose crimes are fueled by substance abuse or mental health issues.
The court will be in session one-half day per month.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 26, 2006. Read the original PDF.