аЯрЁБс>ўџ ')ўџџџ&џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС5@ №ПYbjbjЯ2Я2 .­X­XY џџџџџџˆVVVVVVVj2222 > j ЖVVVVVVVVŸЁЁЁЁЁЁ$жR( vХV VV  ХVVVVкqqq VVVVŸq ŸqqƒVVƒVJ  A–AУ2#ƒŸ№0 ƒž 9"ž ƒjjVVVVž VƒVjqx „‰VVVХХjjnФ[jjnPut an end to the Vagrancy Act November 4 2002 The Age Editorial You see them in the city or inner-suburban shopping strips. Most are men, often unshaven and unkempt, who would like some spare change if you have it. Under the Vagrancy Act, such behaviour is an offence, carrying a maximum penalty of one year's imprisonment or a fine of up to $12,000 (although most people convicted of begging receive a fine of $50 for a first offence, $100 for a second and up to $300 for subsequent offences). An alliance including the Homeless Persons Legal Clinic, the Council to Homeless Persons and Hanover Welfare Services is calling on the government to decriminalise begging on the ground that it is the last resort for the desperate and ill. Beggars themselves confirm this. In a study of begging conducted by Hanover Welfare Services, the City of Melbourne and Victoria Police, they described the activity as a humiliating necessity. Attorney-General Rob Hulls said last week that treating beggars like criminals did not tackle the underlying causes of begging. A parliamentary committee has recently recommended that the links between begging and homelessness, drug use and poverty be investigated; the government is expected to respond to the report by March. It is to be hoped that positive action will then be taken. Two years ago, Mr Hulls told a forum on homelessness and the law that it was "incongruous and inappropriate that in the 21st century we have a law that can send a person to jail for up to 12 months for a first offence of begging". It is difficult to understand why Mr Hulls has taken so long to move on this issue. In his own words: "This type of law adversely impacts on homeless people who, through no fault of their own, find themselves without a roof over their heads." The study on begging confirmed that homelessness was a primary cause of begging. It found that 93 per cent of those charged with the offence in 1999-2000 were long-term unemployed, 71 per cent were sleeping rough or in squats, and 28 per cent were in crisis accommodation. In recent years the destitute have become more visible in the CBD as the area transforms into a desirable residential location. City development has resulted in laneways, doorways and riverside haunts becoming privatised places. The homeless now have fewer places to bunk down and rooming houses are also harder to find. While decriminalisation is unlikely to change how begging is perceived, it would be an acknowledgement that beggars should not be punished for the circumstances in which they find themselves. By itself, however, abolishing the Vagrancy Act can only be a partial solution. Providing a greater range of accommodation for the drug-addicted, the homeless and the deinstitutionalised mentally ill would be a more practical way of providing help for those who are now forced to ask for handouts from strangers in the street. .@AXYхаОЋаЇhЄ_R$hЄ_RhЄ_RB*OJQJ^Jphy(#hЄ_RB*CJOJQJ^JaJph)hЄ_RhЄ_RB*CJOJQJ^JaJph3hЄ_RhЄ_R5B*CJ0KH$OJQJ\^JaJ0ph/7BЂ џXYђццццццф ЄdЄd[$\$gdЄ_R ЄdЄd@&[$\$gdЄ_RY§,1hА‚. 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