RI is frigging bankrupt, why do people think the state can solve every problem? There’s legit no jobs here earning above market, and going forward those folks aren’t going to live here if the state tax rate is punitive.

Well, those addiction concerns should go away once the stadium in Pawtucket is complete. Can't call sports betting an addiction if RI gets their 30 pieces of silver from it. Big brain problems require big brain thinking.

That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact

Well at least our lawmakers are working hard on an assault weapons ban to solve our nonexistent gun violence problem.

We have Plenty of services !!! If anyone understands homelessness, most of those people Choose to live that way!! They don't want a job or any authority over them. Go ask a homeless person if they want a job cutting grass... They'll laugh...

Some of the addicts are quite visible in Kennedy plaza, arrest them, throw them into jail or prison for however long it takes for them to go sober, inform them that visible drug usage will not be tolerated ☝️

Upon release get them into monitored community housing, provide them with work , get them back on their feet.

If they relapse then back to prison with them.

You must have not seen other states then

Negative IQ take.

It would mean I would no longer have to literally step over high as a kite junkies to catch a bus.

In my book that’s a good thing and then THEY get a shot at getting back on their feet .

They MUST be controlled because they cannot control themselves.

Yeah, I’m sure you have to regularly do that. You just sound like a dramatic pissbaby because you have to see homeless people. But yeah just throw them all in jail forever that will solve the underlying problems.

In an ideal world we would have long term humane mental institutions but currently we do not.

We are part of society WE set standards. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that if people are going to be out and about that they not be walking around with their pants at their ankles in broad daylight at the bus center with children around.I have literally seen it over there.

If these folks are going to utilize the public transportation system that we the tax payer fund then standards of behavior SHOULD be enforced.

These folks cannot get it together on their own, WE as society have to be the ones to set the rules for them.

Sounds like you’ve never been homeless or talked to a homeless person. You’re assuming all homeless people are either on drugs or have mental health issues, which isn’t the case. And even if it were, throwing them in jail would do absolutely nothing except make it harder for them to find employment in the future. They’ve tried it in multiple places, and has never done anything to reduce homelessness. It basically just reinforces homeless and traps people in a cycle of poverty, mental health problems, or possibly further addiction. What you’re suggesting isn’t about solving the problem, it’s about punishing homeless people for simply not having a home.

Homeless people are members of society just like people who have homes. Look at the price of homes or apartments compared to the minimum wage, and tell me everyone that can’t afford a place to stay is just a drug addict.

You do understand that even if a person did have a home, getting so blasted out of your mind that you’re wandering around pissing yourself or just wearing undies would STILL be unacceptable right ?

You realize that housing first initiatives are one of the most successful methods of reducing homelessness that has been tried, right? People are significantly less likely to do drugs when provided with housing. There is actual data for this.

“Research shows that once a person has been stabilized in housing, they are much more successful in addressing the issues that caused them to become homeless in the first place.

In fact, given an adequate supply of affordable housing and appropriate support, research has shown that more than 90% of those who experience homelessness each year ultimately achieve self-sufficiency and never become homeless again.”

https://www.crossroadsri.org/housing-services/strategy-solutions/how-we-approach-homelessness

“Housing First programs also lead to reduced hospitalization and use of emergency health departments by people experiencing homelessness. A 2021 study found that Housing First programs decreased homelessness by 88% and improved housing stability by 41%, compared to Treatment First programs.”

https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Housing-First-Research.pdf

There are different types of homeless out there ..

You or I without mental health or addiction issues could almost instantly be assisted with low cost housing and our problems solved.

I doubt it’s so easy for an addict.

For 90% of all homeless people, including people with addiction, it is successful.

No idea why you and I are being down voted for our very real world understanding of the issue.

My Assumption is that more than a few of the people here have the issues we are discussing.

People just like to talk about things they don't understand to look like they care.

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Exhausted just thinking about how baldly Rhode Island is failing it’s people

wait, isn't that like the entirety of the US?

Can Rhode Island figure out a way to profit from people with mental illness and addictions? It seems as though if it can’t be taxed, fined or licensed it’s not on the agenda. Rhode Island government loves the OPM.

I’m not sure I’d call it nonexistent.

Bad news….RI has been failing its people for decades . Moved away many years ago but most of the fam is still there with their miserable existence. Best thing you can do is just pack up and go to any other nearby state.

Yeah, RI is really leading this country in gun violence.

I’ve been saying it for a while. The state is over crowed, imo at least. It’s absolutely ridiculous the amount of people that are in this state. So much so that the things you mention and many many others are over crowded, over run and under funded. I’m sorry , it’s an awful state. Once my grandkids are old enough it’s a straight bye.

America has never cared for its citizens' mental health and its well documented. We would need a paradigm shift overnight to even begin to start building the kind of support networks people need. Never mind the people with ACTUAL mental issues and addiction, those people are well and truly fucked.

We do a lot better than most of the country largely because of our gun laws and neighboring states having solid laws. Still, our level of gun violence is non-zero, and it kinda seems like we should want to improve that?

Illinois has solid gun laws, as does Maryland and California.

Yet California has a gun violence per capita of 8.5 of 100,000, Illinois is at 14.1, Maryland sits at 13.5

Rhode Island is only higher than Massachusetts, with the rates at 5.1 and 3.7 respectively.

Every other state is higher than us in the region.

So if CT and the other above states have stronger gun laws than us, than why is their rates so much higher?

Gun laws don’t prevent people from dying from guns, it’s the people who own them.

Every person arrested for a gun charge this year will commit those crimes regardless of any law that’s passed. You could outright ban the ownership of all firearms in this state and you’d still have people breaking the law and shooting each other.

So no, we don’t need more gun control in this state that will just fuck the law abiding gun owners.

Then you are fucking clueless.

It’s all part of their agenda , they could honestly give less of a fuck about us

Makes people feel good and solves nothing. Besides making good people felons

It’s cultural not laws bro

I feel the same way. I never had enough money to move so I had to accept my situation for what it was. Definitely overpopulated and it causes a lot of problems, including strangers not liking each other. I feel like a lot of girls have left the state too mainly because of the misogyny that followed from the sugar baby epidemic. The state is in bad shape, and I hope it can improve!

At the end of the day it's all about the money. Every government decision nationwide is all about profits. From war, inflation, to mental health. It will even interfere with your personal relationships as well. Hate to say it, money is the biggest motivation. Everyone has their price.

Great article supporting the closing of mental institutions

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>RI ignoring the needs of people with mental illness, addiction concerns

I don't think the addiction concerns have anything to do with the stadium in Pawtucket. Maybe gambling. Mental illness, suicide and overdose go hand in hand. I don't hear anyone talking about it. I don't hear any politician speaking about it. We are losing our children on a daily basis. The number of people we lose to overdose in this country is at an alarming rate. I don't hear any politician talking about it.