Saigh is manager of employment and education services at Father Joe’s Villages. He lives in Spring Valley.
The Homeless Court Program at Father Joe’s Villages began in 1999. The program aims to counteract the negative effects of criminal cases on defendants who are homeless. Homeless Court actually began in 1989 in San Diego and has since been modeled by over 75 agencies throughout the United States. Through this program, judges and public defenders volunteer to assist defendants who are experiencing homelessness, and help to resolve minor legal issues that could prevent the homeless from accessing public benefits or passing background checks for employment and housing opportunities. These legal issues can also lead to a person’s driver’s license being suspended by the DMV. Examples of citations that homeless people receive are vagrancy, encroachment, trolley tickets, public intoxication, jaywalking, vehicle moving violations (speeding, running stop sign or red light), parking tickets, driving with a suspended license or without a license, driving without insurance, smoking at the trolley station and being in possession of an open container of alcohol. Click the link below to read the full essay.
