Abstract

It has been reported in the academic literature that the homeless experience a disproportionately high level of victimization and that reports are rarely made to the police, even in cases of repeat victimizations. In the context of Edinburgh's Homeless Remote Reporting project (HRR), service providers are formally trained to act as an official access point to the police, thus creating a link between a marginalized population and the justice system. The present study's main objective is to investigate whether HRR can effectively challenge neoliberal notions of citizenship and support social inclusivity by encouraging homeless individuals to access the justice system as full citizens. Informed by thirty two in-depth interviews, this study investigates what stakeholders see as a) the strengths and weaknesses of HRR and b) the factors that either support or impede the goals of HRR. The interview data suggests that while the conceptual goals of Homeless Remote Reporting are met, serious weaknesses - such as the project's lack of monitoring and publicity - are likely to prevent Homeless Remote Reporting from being available to the maximum number homeless victims. I have found that while there are weaknesses and the number of Remote Reports has been low, stakeholders find it to be a good addition to existing services for the homeless.