Born in Flint, Michigan, Steve Binder is one of the nation\u2019s greatest champions for fairer treatment of the unhoused within the U.S. legal system. He was in junior high when he discovered the cause to which he would ultimately dedicate his career, when a class visit to a homeless shelter brought him face to face with the economic and legal toll homelessness can have on community members lacking a support system. As a young lawyer in San Diego County in the late 1980s, Binder saw how unfair the criminal justice system was to homeless people with substance abuse, mental health challenges, and a lack of financial resources \u2013 and how focusing on punishment over rehabilitation can push vulnerable individuals further from society. The experience ultimately inspired him to create the Homeless Court Program, a local court system model that takes into consideration the needs and limitations associated with poverty and homelessness. Such entities now operate in dozens of jurisdictions throughout the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n