Homeless man charged under Tennessee law outlawing camping in public space

(NewsNation) — The recent arrest of a homeless man at an East Nashville, Tennessee, park has revived debate over relatively new state laws that prohibit camping on public property.

Joseph Williams, 49, was charged last month under a 2022 statute that makes it a felony to sleep overnight in parks and other public locations. He reportedly is one of the first people to be prosecuted under the law, which is considered the strictest “no camping” measure in the nation.

Williams ultimately pleaded to a lesser charge and was sentenced to the nine days he’d spent in jail.

“I’m just trying to plead to get out of here,” he told National Public Radio this month.

Since being released, Williams has gone back to the park where he has stayed for years, despite efforts by some to provide him with assistance.

Opponents say no-camping laws in Tennessee and several other states could make it harder for homeless people to break the cycle if they are saddled with criminal records. Tennessee is the only state that makes sleeping in a public place a felony, punishable by up to six years in prison.

Supporters say the measures make communities safer and, in some cases, allow authorities to divert offenders into treatment programs.

“My hope is that no one is ever convicted under any of these camping bans,” said Devon Kurtz, who oversees homelessness and public safety policy efforts for the conservative think tank Cicero Institute. “The intention is not to jail people. I’ve also said, however, that sometimes, at the margins, it is essential that law enforcement has the ability to jail them because it can save lives.”

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