July 23, 2026

Recently, Fredrik Backman wrote that when rich people sleep outdoors, it isn't homelessness, it's camping! Now, in many parts of the country, when homeless people camp outdoors, it isn't camping, it's a felony!

In Tennessee, the maximum penalty is 6 years in prison. It seems ironic to put people in jail for this. In this country, the average cost per prisoner is $40,000 a year. It seems like we ought to be able to help alleviate some of these issues with unhoused people much more cheaply and humanely than by putting them in jail and making it harder for them to ever find permanent housing or work in the future.