The Public Defender’s Office of the Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida, Pinellas County, operates the Homeless Outreach Program to reduce the needless incarceration of individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. This Article is intended to serve as a guide for others who may wish to learn from or replicate the program. It will discuss the program’s origins, its problems, and its measurable results as of December 31, 2005, as well as its future goals. The program’s flyer, distributed at shelters and service sites around Pinellas County, asks in bold letters, “Are You Worried About Going to Jail?” and reflects the program’s main objective—reducing the population of homeless individuals in jail. Individuals in the target population are repeatedly arrested in Pinellas County for reasons other than actual law violations.
The most common reasons are failure to pay fines and failure to appear for court hearings.