Supreme Court, Citing ‘Used Needles, Human Waste, and Other Hazards,’ Allows Cities To Crack Down on Encampments

‘Either stay awake or be arrested,’ the three dissenting justices warn.

AP/Jenny Kane
Cassy Leach, a nurse, who leads a group of volunteers who provide food, medical care and other basic goods to the hundreds of homeless people living in the parks, talks to Kimberly Marie, who is homeless and camping in Fruitdale Park March 21, 2024, in Grants Pass, Ore. AP/Jenny Kane

The Supreme Court has ruled that Grants Pass, Oregon, can enforce its public camping ordinances, as generally applicable bans on sleeping and camping on public property are not “cruel and unusual” punishment under the Eighth Amendment.

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