Homeless in Austin Fighting Mental Illness after Spending Most of His Life in Prison
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
- John has lived on the streets of Austin homeless for close to four years. He tries to do things differently by keeping to himself and staying away from common areas.
John spent most of his life locked up in prison. John shared that he has spent more time in prison than he has spent on the streets. Before you judge John, whatever he did, he has done his time and has been released. Our criminal justice system does almost nothing to help ex-convicts get back into society. Many end up on the streets homeless, and as taxpayers, you pay for their homelessness.
John suffers from mental illness and other health issues. He says he is working with good case managers and is on a list to be housed soon. John believes that how people are selected for housing is obsolete and needs to be redone. His basis for this is the fact that homeless people can be on a housing list for years and never get into housing. John is a smart man.
John went on to give more suggestions on homeless services and case management. He believes and I agree that some people need help transitioning from a life of prison and then homelessness into housing.
At the end, John invited me to visit his new apartment when he gets housing. Just so happens I will be in Austin for SXSW early next year and hope to visit John in his castle!
Your voice can help end homelessness. If we do not fix the affordable housing crisis, homelessness will continue to get worse. Click here invisiblepeopl... to tweet, email, call, or Facebook your federal and state legislators to tell them ending homelessness and creating more affordable housing is a priority to you.
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There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, a living wage or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness.
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Invisible People is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about homelessness through innovative storytelling, news, and advocacy. Since our launch in 2008, Invisible People has become a pioneer and trusted resource for inspiring action and raising awareness in support of advocacy, policy change and thoughtful dialogue around poverty in North America and the United Kingdom.
Your voice can help end homelessness. If we do not fix the affordable housing crisis, homelessness will continue to get worse. Click here invisiblepeople.tv/getinvolved to tweet, email, call, or Facebook your federal and state legislators to tell them ending homelessness and creating more affordable housing is a priority to you.
And yes I wish people understood this more. Maybe one day they will.
My hometown sold out to tourism, and lost its community.
Invisible voice words of wisdom?
Invisible voice words of wisdom?
@@theangrybuddhaofficial Rent is 400 as a Couple where i live.. Nobody wants to talk about that.. Invisible seriously Come here ill show you the rent you show me why 2 people can not make 400 a month, Lets go. im all ears
Ending up homeless scares me, i don't know why. Maybe cos all of us are just 1 paycheck away from being homeless
waaazup D yes we are struggling
Me too . Been there in my twenties due to depression and substance abuse -I’m now 50 with wife kid house buisness etc and homelessness still secretly worries me
I’ve been homeless for the last two year. I’ve been fortunate in the sense that i haven’t been sleeping on sidewalks. I’ve mostly been sleeping In vehicles. But I’m scared of not being able to get on my feet enough to ever get out of this situation and then eventually ending up without a vehicle.
After paying rent I have a few dollars left
No credit card no savings no credit I live on fear all the time
scares me too, bud ... you are not alone. anyone of us can end up homeless in a snap of a finger. and as we get older and those with no family the exponential of being homeless rises.
Blessings to John. I loved his 3 wishes. Nothing about himself. All about others.
I thought they were great too
All these wonderful homeless people are the sympathetic ones..they are a family within themselves..and others
Hard to believe he's been in prison for years, he seems like a very nice guy.
There are many decent people who because of one bad decision end up in jail, and become very jaded while inside, he seems to not be too much like that which is great
I've known some very nice guys who'd been in jail. Harmless, and really nice folks. One became a Christian in prison, not the fake kind that pass for Christianity in the US but the real kind, through Prison Ministries. Another guy had merely been a bigtime pot smuggler. So, in jail for being a good businessman.
im still a very nice guy even after serving 25 years for terrible, horrific crimes
Lots of nice guys in prison, my friend went to prison, and the only victim in his entire case, was himself….
Thank you, Mark! This is where the ideas need to come from -- people who understand.
This guy was once super handsome i can tell...god bless my friend
@journalistethics dotcom Luck of the draw. I can see it, too.
Ask him out.
LMAO IM ALL FOR BEING SUPER POSTIVE BUT A LIE IS A LIE LMAO
@@damien1781 quit it who cares just read and pass on by
I might let him eat my butt out😂😂😂😬
Being unable to find a job after incarceration is part of a bigger problem. Releasing an individual from prison and expecting them to magically fall into step with everyday society and "normal" life is simply unrealistic. In the U.S., prisoners are rarely rehabilitated, most of those relased are quickly churned back through the prison system and this sad cycle makes certain entities huge amounts of money.
And finding a place to live can be hard. If you have a drug conviction, nobody wants to rent to you because drug use on their property can get that property seized.
If people are so worried about fitting back into society, why don't they simply avoid breaking the law in the first place? Problem solved!
Thank you so much for your work!!!
i truly feel badly for every homeless person. But certain ones break my heart. John is one of them. He seems like he just needs some support and a chance. Also I too have dental issues and his constant moving of his mouth is something I do too because of discomfort and extracted teeth. I was in pain watching his mouth. I wish a dentist in Austin would help him out. And to top it off, his waering a USA hat was so cruelly ironic. Our country has abandoned its most vulnerable people.
Maybe if you actually worked hard instead of spending your time virtue-signaling you could earn enough money to pay for John's dentistry
I hope you get some help soon. God bless you.
He doesn't have long without help.
May God Bless you John ❤️🌷❤️
God Bless this man and the Trinity Center. Sounds like they are trying.
Heartbreaking. I must say, Mark, you find some truly good people. I don't know anything about this man, but he seems so gentle. I wish him the best.
And there's the vicious cycle ex con trying to make a better life for themselves and no opportunities to be found, my brother I hope you read this, DO NOT REOFFEND stay the course keep working towards your goals write down a plan to get there, get the local libraian to help you don't feel ashamed to ask for help good luck brother stay strong 💪
no ones fault but his own, its hard to TRUST a felon... I have sympathy for him but let's keep it real, he's proven to not be reliable to society. We need rehabilitation
@@damien1781 have you really been paying attention to American society lately? this guy is far more logical and sound minded than most people who never did time, I would quicker trust him then most people I meet throughout the day
@@nightfangs2910 Yes Ron, I find him fascinating but you reap what you sew. His track record is what scares most of us. Im all for helping people but the blame is soley based on his choices.
@@damien1781 so as far as your concerned he should just go find a quiet place to take his life, you feel he shouldn't have any more chances, just get gone stay gone zero empathy
I was just reading the "rules" at an apartment complex leasing office which rules state a criminal record is grounds for "automatic rejection" of an application to live in one of the apartments for rent.
God Bless You John
You do important work bringing us these takes.
I see a beautiful mind and a sincere heart from john's eyes. I pray that the system will give him a new chance to work and an affordable housing. Bless this decent man.
These are NOT stories about housing. These are stories of our DIVORCE LAWS. I am also a retired veteran who because of these ridiculous domestic violence laws went from a 3000sqft home to being homeless in winter with ZERO evidence. I had no ID, no wallet, no shoes, and no medicine, which after a week on the streets led to a nervous breakdown - all because of a false abuse charge because my ex wife was having an affair. She moved the new guy into my house that I paid every mortgage payment on only a few weeks after I was tossed out. This also happens to homeless women whose exes abused the court system to make them look unstable.
Well I wish for you a safe warm place to call home, good health and happiness. ❤❤❤❤
One of my life missions is to help the homeless and those who were dealt especially bad cards. People should not have to sleep on the street. So much money and resources available yet people are still homeless and hungry.
Rendroc Agree...
Agree 100% most vulnerable in society been forgotten by the government.
Good. That mean's you'll never neglect your family members in times of need. That's what homelessness comes back to ... peaople failing each other. Nothing to do with the Govt, or "society". It's plain old individuals being selfish and lazy.
God bless you, John!!
I pray for the homeless , I know how it is , ive dealt with homelessness for awhile myself . It was pretty difficult especially during winter 🥺
If someone is near this zone, please bring him some food and clothes. Nobody deserves to live like that. He needs a second chance. Sending love and good energies to this man from South America.
In Germany, people with menthal Health issues, don’t end up on the streets, not yet.
My pray for him, may god give him strengh, courage, patient to go through this.. mau you see the light at the end of the tunnel. Amen..
I live in Austin.... the homeless community is GROWING and GROWING and it’s SAD.
It’s growing everywhere unfortunately
Nobody wants to work. Laziness.
Hi Pandora.. Is Trump helping this situation? He has found alot more money for the military.
@@peterah7957 its so easy to blame trump but how was it under obama clinton bush ect. The problems been there for a long time and the greed is makeing it worse n worse. Easy to blame trump as a scapegoat. Facts is it starts at the local level. And with all the greed out there its just becomeing worse n worse especially if your by yourself. Takes at least 2 n alot of these cities now to barely stay afloat. We need to not just point the finger of blame but we need some real solutions.
Yeah! Break! Care! Break! It's not that
His look reminds me of Captain Picard.
God Bless Us All!
Great guy. I hope he stays blessed
What a nice guy. Homelessness is so hard. If people would just open their hearts and be kind to the homeless. I pray for him and all homeless. I been through it. I know its rough. 🙏💖
Really sad, people have to be homeless...😥
John I am sorry! I truly wish I could help. I may be homeless too within 4 months. I am a nurse and people say you can get a job anywhere. No I had wrist surgery 4 months ago, complications prevented me from going back to work they would not hold my position. I cannot work with my wrist messed up. I have no money. In 4 months if something doesn’t change I will be on the street.
i pray to god may He recover your wrist, never give up !
Bless John's hart !
"don't worry about things you can't really deal with".
Wow.
He sounds like intellectual kind of man because he clearly is having his case open. I hope he gets off the streets soon. God bless that man.
nice and interesting video, the part i like "don't worry about the bad things, or the things you can't really deal with"
this is what i try to do all days
He is definitely high in this video not that it matters I’m just saying. I’ve been there so I know exactly how this man feels. You can’t do this sober. ❤ I hope he was able to get back on his feet 🙏🏻💗
Father, I pray those doors open for this sweet soul soon in Jesus name. Amen
So you're saying you hope he dies soon? I'm guessing you were wearing a red MAGA hat when you posted that, weren't you?
Amen!
5 seconds into this video and I muttered the words "Hey ya Vern, it's Ernest".
@Jay Harter really? How'd you meet?
Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs used to remind me of Ernest. 🤘
I wish you a new home & life my friend good luck
right he is...no one is the same- housed or unhoused
I pray this man will get his castle soon.
Spent a couple days in prison by mistake and so brutal have PTSD from it a yr later. It was insane, saw a guy almost killed ,
🙏🔥❤️✝️📖💪🏼🛡♾🕊 in humble prayer asking God Almighty to Bless John with health & comfortable dwelling place.... along with others in similar circumstances. Homelessness is 😭💔
Your Graceful asking is much appreciated. You deserve respect truly. God bless you and what you do so much. And every struggling soul i see you and i pray for you. ❤️🙏 I was an alcoholic i turned completely to Jesus. Praise God forever and always. He took all the emptiness and pain away long term. He gives me his indescribable divine perfect peace. I pray for all to truly believe with all your heart and soul in 1 Corinthians 15 :1-4. Jesus loves you so much he died for you.
🙏❤️
homelessness is so much a tragedy
Heartbreaking. Why don't the Bezos, Gates and Zuckerbergs of this world lift a finger to help people like him
GOD BLESS Him🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿
He favors the Actor who plays ERNEST
love you mark...
My fellow human. Best of luck to you.
I PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS OVER HIS LIFE💞. GOD BLESS
OR, YOUR BLOOD
@@heatherrose9373 DEMONS ALWAYS MANIFEST WHEN WE PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS. THERE IS POWER IN THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS🎉 🙌THANK U JESUS CHRIST THAT UR LORD OVER ALL🙌
@@evettejamison6413 THERE IS POWER IN JESUS. GOD WILL DIE FOR HIS OWN. NOT FOR SINNERS. THINK BEFORE YOU POST.
@@heatherrose9373 THAT DEMON OPERATING OUT OF U IS GOING 2 DELIVER U 2 HELL'S FIRE. U NEED 2 EXAMINE UR LIFE, SURRENDER UR EVIL HEART AND TONGUE 2 JESUS THE CHRIST B4 UR TIME EXPIRE ON EARTH. UR FOOLISH AND I WON'T WASTE MY TIME ANYMORE RESPONDING BACK 2 UR DEMON OR DEMONDS. JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY TRUE LIVING GOD🎉 GOD BLESS🌹
@@evettejamison6413 YOU'RE CRAZY. I'M IN THE MINISTRY 30 YEARS. YOU DON'T KNOW GOD. STOP LYING ABOUT HIM
Know what i mean, Verne?...
You can learn a lot from this guy than a philosopher. Smart fellow. Hope I can join you for dinner someday.
I remember when Mike Rowe was doing Dirty Jobs and was a far cry from this. Sad to see what's become of him. This really opens your eyes to see that any single one of us can become homeless and downtrodden. Get better soon Mike!
This isn’t Mike Rowe.
this man is a pack of premium pain
Vulnerable people should be taken care of
Most people just need someone to give them a place to stay and work. If it takes a while hang in there with them. Our society is full of greedy people that follow satans rules, me, me,me
So you're saying this man's family are satanic for not housing and feeding him?
No family. Nobody. People being paid to care.Good luck.
Sad but sometimes it works
Homless never will go away will get worse we need gods kingdom now!!
Do you know there is a god or just have faith that there is a god? Serious question.
plenty of countries don’t face homelessness nearly at the same extent as the united states. there are so many ways to fix it but too many greedy people at the top.
Nothing is written in stone. If people look for GOD, He will show compassion. He doesn't want anyone to perish. He is waiting for people to repent and look for HIM.
@@angieherrera1850 the 10 commandments were lol
Yup he's right
Hopehefindshiswayheisalsoverythankfulforpeoplehelpinghim
Nice man
I hope he get nice home soon god bless him 😀
What he's got is undiagnosed tardive dyskinesia, he's being forced to take neuroleptics by his case worker just to procure housing and may not realize loss of motor control over his mouth is a side effect of antipsychotic medication
RFS Israel, We pray for health and wisdom
I hope the best for him.
Got love for you brother.
Another good man down ,
I'm a excon to bro ,
Save the world
don't burn it .
God Bless him
great
This man is really smart.
one of his 3 wishes Love Others one of the two greatest commandments as spoken by Jesus Christ we must ALL do. Gods got you brother, I pray Gods Guidance, Protection, Hedge of Fire surround you and be gracious unto you 🙏😔
Why didnt you ask why he was in prison ? what if he was a child molester or rapist.
I hope for the best for this guy, I hope he finds his way. That’s why it’s important to follow the rules in life, don’t break the law, don’t get involved with drugs, and stay humble. Because if you get into trouble for whatever reason, like rape, murder, or any of those crimes that will keep you locked up and you wind up spending most of your life in prison, then it is going to be very hard to try to get your life in order once you get out. But all of that could of been avoided if you just didn’t commit that crime, and the pain that you caused your victim and their family if they are alive is a travesty in itself.
More funding for mental illness would save money on prisons etc stitch in time saves nine
That will do nothing. The only "cure" is to raise kids to be mentally healthy. Be better parents. Stop creating dysfunctional people.
Do you guys give them some money for these interviews?
Stay strong John!
I don't mind helping anyone especially the homeless but when they have a criminal record and they keep doing the same stuff and going back to jail why should we help them? I mean repeat offenders stealing drugs domestic violence
There was a guy named Horace Caraker who repeatedly threatened various presidents over the phone just to get put in federal prison because he couldn't make it in the free world, and needed the security. One of these convictions got him sent to USP Lewisburg (a very serious high security pen, not a cushy Club Fed joint) where he had a tough time, brutalized by his fellow inmates and attempted suicide in a very painful and unusual way. He was featured in the "Doing Time: Life Inside The Big House" documentary about Lewisburg in 1991. It's on UA-cam, you should check it out. The poor guy eventually died of old age in a federal prison here in Texas after threatening George W. Bush.
Ann Bertoli criminal are made by society...
no one is borned with the intention of killing someone.
if your life is fine stop judging someone.
you don't know their story.
no one wants to be bad.... society makes them bad.
Does John at least get disability & help with food stamps?
it's june 2020 and I hope John is doing well.
Would love to know if he got a place
2:45 A person can be on a housing list for years and not be housed
What about their families?
I appreciate what you do for these people , giving them a voice. But affordable living seems to just be getting further away . And there needs to be some different kind of housing for people with mental issues. Because once housed they have a hard time keeping it. Even paying normal bills on time is a challenge.
🙏
oh my god he is handsome
I want to marry him😍
Why was he in prison most of his life
GREAT QUESTION!!!
Magical people.
😣
It's sad how gnarly the homeless problem is and then when you look into how many people also have a mental health issue its so fuckin sad. We pay to house prisoners the lowest of the low, these people who come across hard times deserve something like that, knowing my tax dollars could go to something good would be nice.
Was just curious if these kind souls are given anything for doin the video?
I can get 3 pairs of socks for a dollar. People donate money to help the channel but I wonder if all the money goes to fly and travel across the world because socks for all the homeless interviewed for the year is probably only $100 for the 12 months.
@@warmsunnytoday4535 Then do what I do: Buy yourself a shit ton of socks and give them to homeless people. I got the idea from this channel.
Spunky, I used to do that at least 3 times a week when I lived in a big city. I would make about 80 sandwiches, socks, underwear, shampoo, soap, and put them in a bag and pass them out. Sometimes, T-shirt’s and jeans, sleeping bags, etc. I never asked anyone to help me pay for it. This guy asks for money and only gives out socks.
More specifically, the Invisible People organization received around $184,000 last year, but maybe spent only about $100 to $300 on socks. Trips to Europe are expensive. Why not cut out the expensive travel and give out underwear, socks, and more to the homeless being interviewed.
@@warmsunnytoday4535 Interviewing people is a job though. He is advocating for the homeless. He is producing videos. These are all things people get paid for.
If you .... anyone .... genuinely cares about solving this problem, the best thing you can do is make sure you raise your kids right. Be involved, stable, respectful, clean, honest, and responsible parents. Don't wilfully create damaged people. All of it comes back to this. In the meantime, those already on the streets need the toughest love. They don't need money, or other unconditional material assistance - they need rules, regulations, obligations, and duty. Failure to require those things of them is the opposite of love. It's absolute disregard.
It really is sad because he could have been brain injured from birth, you just never know...
Affordable housing in a Capitalist, merit based system. How does that not incentivise homelessness as opting out of the mainstream human grinder.
Why did you give him the $20 for the coke before the video?
Jesus was homeless. He never owned or rented a home or dwelling. He walked all over the place and lived by faith and didn’t expect anything from anyone.
Being homeless is our natural place...homes are ungodly
He also said he would return very soon
Never happened
@@bigboy9983It's coming soon.
You should take a look at all the prophecies that are being fulfilled
Homeless have been made into a big business.a city get a $5000000 grant.most go toward salaries and administrative cost
Please read..there are people in this world that can't function paying bills and even getting a job they are scared of rejection because they have been rejected so many times. Its called mental illness and they just can't function. They end up on the streets and it just gets worse. You don't wanna feel the pain so you turn to drugs. People with careers will never understand ..oh go get a job at McDonald's and if you don't you don't want to work. It's not that simple people. Why would the McDonald's manager want to hire a grown man that is homeless when they could hire kids who live in homes. There scared you will have be high at work or want to steal food. Life is cruel and for some it's a nightmare. If you made it this far in my rant THANK YOU its the truth. God bless everyone reading this
Some of these case managers and defense managers.do very little.just to get a pay check
Hard to watch
At least hes got clean water to drink!