There are more than 5,000 homeless people in Maricopa County on any given day. Most of them are single men and women but there are an estimated 250 families on the streets or in shelters.
More than a decade ago, Maricopa County partnered with Phoenix, St. Vincent de Paul, Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) and Lodestar Day Resource Center to create the Human Services Campus where people could find food, temporary housing and services such as healthcare.
At the same time, prosecutors and public defenders were contemplating their role in the homeless problem. Attorneys and judges talk about the cycle. People commit a non-violent offense, don’t pay the fine, and then don’t show to court which leads to a warrant and then jail.
Phoenix, Tempe and Glendale piloted the first Arizona Homeless Courts, hearing cases in limited jurisdiction courts that were referred by outside providers. They would hold court at the Human Services Campus once a month. These cases don’t involve victims or felonies. They usually revolve around things such as driving on a suspended license, public intoxication or trespassing. Most defendants commit to community service and programs to fulfill the terms of their sentence.
Recognizing homelessness is a regional problem, 2012 legislation brought all 48 limited jurisdiction courts in Maricopa County under the presiding judge of Superior Court. This streamlined the process and allowed more people to seek a fresh start.
Since that time the courts have resolved more than one thousand cases and grown from 13 to 37 providers with 68 programs. Seeing each of these people commit to their plan and lift themselves up is the true measure of success.