US Policies that Criminalize the Poor Perpetuate the Cycle of Poverty

Part II - Poverty in America

For decades America has portrayed itself as a beacon for human rights, but U.S. public policies criminalize the poor and keep them trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, homelessness and crime, said Philip Alston, the United Nations special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.  The UN’s Human Rights Council appointed Alston to look into human rights violations around the world.  After several months of investigation and a brief tour of several American states and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, Alston concluded that American officials need to do some introspection, because their approach to dealing with poverty is unproductive and rooted in systemic racial bias and racial disparity. Even though America’s economy is currently booming, Alston said growing income inequality and extreme poverty are a threat to the nation’s democracy and sustained economic growth.