‘Conflict with the Law’: Regulation & Homeless Youth Trajectories toward Stability

Abstract

Youth without housing experience more regulation and conflict with criminal justice than their housed counterparts. Using in-depth qualitative interviews with fifty-one young people, we focus on how efforts to move away from homelessness towards long-term housing stability are impacted by conflict with law, a term referring to a broad range of experiences with various authorities in the legal system, social services, shelters, etc. Our paper comes out of a yearlong longitudinal study of the factors and processes affecting the transition away from youth homelessness in Toronto and Halifax. We consider practical barriers generated by conflict with law, but also the role that it can play in shaping the identity processes at the heart of successful transitions. Our findings highlight how conflict with law and regulation-even occurring before and during homelessness-has serious repercussions for young people well after they have left the streets.

More than four walls and a roof needed: A complex tertiary prevention approach for recently homeless youth.

“…Pathways into homelessness for youth have been extensively studied. While limited to cross-sectional, retrospective designs, studies routinely describe prehomeless histories of abuse and neglect by caregivers, adversity in schools, mental health challenges, and problematic interactions with child protection and juvenile criminal justice systems (Coates & McKenzie-Mohr, 2010; Dworsky & Courtney, 2009; Shelton, Taylor, Bonner, & van den Bree, 2009; Quirouette, Frederick, Hughes, Karabanow, & Kidd, 2016). Much less understood are systemic challenges such as poverty, racial discrimination, and flawed policy in leading to youth homelessness (Kidd, 2012).…”

The Lived Experience of Youth Justice Policy: Responsibilization in a Carceral State

“…There are also youth that experience disadvantage within social systems outside of the youth justice system, which contributes to experiences of criminalization and acts as a pathway into the youth justice system (Kolivoski, Goodkind, & Shook, 2017;Lorenc et al, 2012;Maschi, et al, 2008). Marginalization experienced from contact with social institutions and barriers to accessing support from these institutions can contribute to underlying issues that result in justice involvement (Jamieson, 2012); for instance, youth that are involved in the child welfare system are more likely to become justice-involved (Bala, Finlay, De Filippis & Hunter, 2015;Kolivoski, Goodkind & Shook, 2017); youth that fail to receive adequate support within the school system (Fader, Lockwood, Schall & Stokes, 2015;Salole & Abdulle, 2015) and the mental health system 3 (Department of Justice, 2018; Espinosa, Sorensen & Lopez, 2013;Public Safety Canada, 2017); and youth that face social disadvantage, such as homelessness (Gharabaghi & Stuart, 2010) and poverty (Beauvais, McKay & Seddon, 2001;Quirouette, Frederick, Hughes, Karabanow & Kidd, 2016) can be at increased risk of becoming justice-involved. Given the disconnect between youth justice policy, which seeks a fair, proportionate, and rehabilitative framework for youth (Bala, Carrington, & Roberts, 2009), and the reality of how the youth justice system and other intersecting social systems impact youth, this research aims to better understand the interconnection between policy and lived experience.…”

“…Department of Justice, 2018; Espinosa, Sorensen & Lopez, 2013;Lorenc et. al, 2012;Public Safety Canada, 2017) substance use (Warner & Kramer, 2009), housing issues (i.e., reintegration from custody or detention) (Quirouette, Frederick, Hughes, Karabanow & Kidd, 2016), and socioeconomic disadvantage (Alvi, 2012;Crenshaw, 2012;Goddard, 2012) are all factors that can increase the risk of justice involvement. It is thus unsurprising that participants believed the youth justice system would help them access supports as part of prevention and rehabilitation.…”

Trialing the feasibility of a critical time intervention for youth transitioning out of homelessness.

“…Research into youth homelessness has concentrated primarily upon exposure to adversity and risk before and during homelessness. Well-established risk factors associated with entry into homelessness include abuse and neglect by caregivers, adversity in school, mental health challenges, and exposure to child protection and criminal justice systems (Coates & McKenzie-Mohr, 2010;Dworsky & Courtney, 2009;Quirouette, Frederick, Hughes, Karabanow, & Kidd, 2016;Shelton, Taylor, Bonner, & van den Bree, 2009). Adversity during homelessness is, likewise, well-documented.…”