Homeless mentally disordered offenders and violent crimes

By Daniel A. Martell

"This study examines the prevalence of homelessness in a cross-sectional sample of 150 patients retained in a maximum-security hospital for mentally disordered offenders in New York City. The homeless mentally ill comprise only 2% of the city's mentally ill population, yet they account for 50% of the admissions to this forensic facility from the community. Compared to population base rate estimates, forensic patients are homeless at 25 times the rate found in the rest of the city's mentally disordered population and are 50 times more likely to be homeless than the general population. Further, there is a significant association between homelessness at the time of the instant offense and charges for violent crimes, after controlling for age, sex, race, and diagnosis. These data suggest that homelessness greatly increases the risk that mentally disordered persons will be forensically hospitalized and is closely associated with indictments for violent criminal behavior. Alternative explanations for these findings are discussed, emphasizing risk, vulnerability, and criminalization perspectives."


Reference: http://www.springerlink.com/content/mm73u15030l34375/

Perceptions of and reactions to the homeless: A survey of fourth-grade, high school, and college students in a small Midwestern community

By Mark A. Barnett, Steven W. Quackenbush and Lisa K. Pierce


"A total of 459 fourth-graders, high school students, and undergraduates completed a Homelessness Questionnaire developed for use in this study. Although participants generally expressed positive and supportive attitudes toward the homeless, attributing homelessness to either social maladjustment (e.g., drug problem) or negative characteristics (e.g., laziness) within the homeless was positively associated with “fear of and anger toward the homeless” for all groups of participants. In addition, perceptions of and reactions to the homeless were influenced by both the participants’ gender and age group. Although high school and college students’ interest in helping the homeless was associated with various attitudes and reactions (e.g., feelings of sympathylsupport), their indication that they had ever helped homeless people (either directly or indirectly) was consistently associated only with the acknowledgement that their mother and father had ever helped homeless people (either directly or indirectly). Among these older participants, homelessness in the United States was rated as a more serious problem at the end of the questionnaire than at the beginning."


Reference: http://www.springerlink.com/content/p325g70505501808/

Teenage Paparazzo: I AM Hollywood Homeless

An interesting insight into the lives of the homeless community in the celebrity capital of the world.

Page Samples

Sample shots of page examples. First page is printed on Chromatico Digital Clear 150gsm. Second page is printed on Chromatico Digital Clear 110gsm. Third page is printed on Premium White 120gsm.

Becky Blanton - Life experience as a homeless woman

Very inspiring talk. And a realisation that being homeless is very much a situation that anyone could find themself in.

Westcliff Baptist Church. Christmas Service

Ralph Millward.

Ralph Millward was murdered by three drunk teenagers in May 2009 and was a good friend of many poeple that attend the Westbourne Baptist Church. His Funeral was held where I have been going for the Open Breakfasts and I am extremely fortunate that Tommo and Paul talked to me about the much loved man. The video below is coverage of his funeral, in which hundreds were in attendance.

My project and book will be a fitting dedication towards Ralph.