Thirteen homelessness charities and housing groups made an unprecedented plea to ministers to reconsider the police and crime bill that passed through the Commons this week. It will now go to the House of Lords. They said the bill needs urgent changes to avoid people being arrested and imprisoned for sleeping rough. Traditional Gypsy events like the annual Appleby horse fair face being criminalised, threatening the Gypsy way of life and culture. People will risk fines, imprisonment or confiscation of vehicles, which for Travellers are also their homes. The charities and housing groups said the bill should be scrapped, or amended if it goes ahead. Many people experiencing homelessness sleep in cars; they would be arrested and jailed. An 1824 Vagrancy Act that targeted rough sleeping and begging was abolished, but this new legislation 200 years later would again criminalise them.
Police bill risks criminalising homeless
Written by David Fletcher 09 Jul 2021Additional Info
- Pray: for ministers to amend the proposed police and crime bill so that homeless people who have to sleep somewhere are not prosecuted, fined, or jailed. (Proverbs 14:31)
- More: www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jul/08/police-bill-risks-criminalising-homeless-people-warn-uk-charities
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