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19 St. Louis U. Pub. L. Rev. 357 (2000)
Discharges to the Streets: Hospitals and Homelessness

handle is hein.journals/stlpl19 and id is 363 raw text is: DISCHARGES TO THE STREETS: HOSPITALS AND HOMELESSNESS SIDNEY D. WATSON* TNTRODUCTION Imagine the children's game of musical chairs, but played with both an individual aim to keep a chair and a collective goal to keep everyone seated. Imagine, as well, that in this game not only are seats gradually removed, but the number of players is progressively increased. At the start of the game, adjustments are made easily enough, and for a short time the collective goal is achieved. True, the number of seats decreases and the pool of individuals competing for them gets bigger, but those sitting down accommodate the others by sharing their chairs or allowing them onto their laps. The seats are small, however, and there are limits to how much weight people can bear. Inevitably, some people find themselves standing, their number growing as time passes. As the game continues, many small dramas unfold. Some of those seated on laps are pushed off, then allowed back again. Seats are periodically relinquished, and the appearance of an empty seat precipitates a scramble among those outside the circle. Indeed, many people move back and forth between standing up and sitting down, but the total number of people standing continues to grow, and the collective goal of the game becomes untenable. Who gets left standing is not determined merely by chance. Some players are fast and strong; some are impaired. Some are unpleasant and disruptive, and others are very heavy: these players are unlikely to be invited onto an occupied chair. Some are timid and ashamed to enlist help, or perhaps just don't know any of the other players. Still others don't understand the rules of the game and wander through the scene. Visiting Professor of Law, St. Louis University (1999-2000); Professor of Law, Mercer University School of Law. This work was supported by a Mercer University School of Law faculty research grant. My thanks to Nateesha Gupte (St. Louis University, Class of 2001) and Laura Bedingfield (Mercer University Class of 2002) for their help with research and ideas. Thanks to Patsy Tye of the Mercer Law Library for help locating source material. I am grateful to Ray Brescia, Mary Eden Hombs, and Sue Jamieson for their advocacy and for the time they spent with me discussing these issues.

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