There's an interesting Ted talk about an effort to reduce the number of people on death row in Texas. Turns out the cheapest and simplest way is to support them as children so they never commit the crime in the first place. Has the benefit of the crime not happening too.

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_r_dow_lessons_from_death_row...

His example is someone who's mother tried to kill him.

> And I said to him, "I know the story. I've read the records. I know that she tried to kill you." I said, "But I've always wondered whether you really actually remember that." I said, "I don't remember anything from when I was five years old. Maybe you just remember somebody telling you."

16:46 > And he looked at me and he leaned forward, and he said, "Professor," -- he'd known me for 12 years, he still called me Professor. He said, "Professor, I don't mean any disrespect by this, but when your mama picks up a butcher knife that looks bigger than you are, and chases you through the house screaming she's going to kill you, and you have to lock yourself in the bathroom and lean against the door and holler for help until the police get there," he looked at me and he said, "that's something you don't forget."

Is it ever laziness? I think that the myth of the lazy bum is just that, a myth.

i volunteer with homeless weekly and my wife runs a homeless support facility where they try and help people get benefits such as social security, recover IDs and get food stamps and such.

most “work” a lot flying signs out in the heat to make a few bucks, some drink it all away.. some use it to try and get the hell out of town. some are just so into survival mode they don’t know any better

but what i find the most interesting is how most are just nice people.

you wouldn’t know that by reading this thread.

most homeless people just want to talk, share their stories and have a friend. They’re tired of being arrested for sleeping. They’re tired of their stuff being stolen - a lot of their mental issues stem from lack of sleep and filling that void with drugs and booze..

it’s unfortunate how people get treated and this thread is no exception to people perpetuating their high and mighty views of a world they know nothing about - merely to protect their world view that dehumanizes these people.

if being without a home is decriminalized and we work to build systems that support these people they wouldn’t be under bridges and in parks.. they sometimes get pushed into camps but those camps rarely give glimpses of hope and service but rather make them feel like outcasts. and everyone is a NIMBY when it comes to this - the OP being no exception to it.

They don’t care about people, they care about appearances and property values and thus nothing will ever change or happen.

> what i find the most interesting is how most are just nice people.

This is my experience too. Which is a testament to the human spirit, given how shunned they are.

> a lot of their mental issues stem from lack of sleep

I lose it after a few nights of bad sleep in my comfy bed, in my warm secure bedroom. I'd be such a wreck on the cold hard concrete.

rip, am lazy bum