Jail vs Homelessness

Which is worse?

In jail you get:
TV (in many cells)
Protection (to a certain extent)
Three square meals a day
Healthcare / insurance
Books
Education (in some places)
Shelter

Homeless person?
Nada, except "freedom" if you want to call it that.

Which would you rather face? Assume that your children are grown, you are an older person who is out of government assistance and homeless shelters are full. Would you commit a "light" crime just to have food and shelter?

I would do jail.

My uncle did just so he could get cancer meds and his teeth done. He worked so hard to get nothing. So he broke into a house with an alarm and sat there till the cops came. It was dumb but I understood him.

homeless.

Quoting Red Rover:" My uncle did just so he could get cancer meds and his teeth done. He worked so hard to get nothing. So ... [snip!] ... hard to get nothing. So he broke into a house with an alarm and sat there till the cops came. It was dumb but I understood him."

Aw....  Poor guy.

Homeless, but I'd hope that my children would help if I was ever in that kind of situation.

Many people actually do commit crimes to have the things you listed above. I've been homeless... If my choice was to be homeless or jail I'd choose homelessness for the simple fact that I've done it before and know how to survive off of the land.

Quoting Back to Noob Status:" Aw....  Poor guy. "

Yeah I know..but his teeth look great..lol

No, i wouldn't go to jail. I wouldn't want to mess up my record for some assistance, because when i got out of jail it would be a hell of alot harder finding a job. Also, most of the shelters here do help you get up on your feet and provide meals, etc... Even if your circumstances were true in my case though, i still would suck it up and try to get a job to support myself.

Quoting RunsWithScissors:" Many people actually do commit crimes to have the things you listed above. I've been homeless... If my ... [snip!] ... homeless or jail I'd choose homelessness for the simple fact that I've done it before and know how to survive off of the land."

this. ive never been homeless, but i have enough knowledge to know how to get by.

Quoting Red Rover:" Yeah I know..but his teeth look great..lol"

Well, that's good lol

Hmm, good question. I can't picture myself committing a crime that would result in jail time, so I guess I'd say homeless.

Does this stem from the recent story of a man holding up a bank teller for $1, because he wanted to go to jail?

Quoting SpaceCowgirl:" Hmm, good question. I can't picture myself committing a crime that would result in jail time, so I guess ... [snip!] ... say homeless. Does this stem from the recent story of a man holding up a bank teller for $1, because he wanted to go to jail?"

No....did that happen?  

Lol. One dollar. Did he go to jail?

Quoting SpaceCowgirl:" Hmm, good question. I can't picture myself committing a crime that would result in jail time, so I guess ... [snip!] ... say homeless. Does this stem from the recent story of a man holding up a bank teller for $1, because he wanted to go to jail?"

$1? wow.

Quoting Back to Noob Status:" No....did that happen?   Lol. One dollar. Did he go to jail?"

It was just on the news a couple days ago...

http://news.yahoo.com/police-man-tries-rob-bank-1-prison-bid-154959534.html