By: Sara Kennedy
Source: bradenton.com
Advocates for the homeless report they are seeing a new type of client: Blue-collar former homeowners with no criminal record who are so desperate, they’re stealing food and diapers.
And pregnant women without health insurance who are committing crimes in order to get medical care for their babies in jail.
“I am now starting to see a new type of offender — the working class desperate offender,” said Judy Martin, a discharge planner for the Manatee County jail.
Among those are mothers who have been arrested for shoplifting. They’re not stealing jewelry or perfume; they’re stealing clothing and food to try to keep their families afloat as a result of the recession, Martin said.
“These people had homes and businesses,” said Martin during a forum Tuesday sponsored by the Florida Council on Homelessness at the Salvation Army facility in Sarasota. “The economy changed, they lost it all.”
Advocates report desperate blue-collar former homeowners
