San Francisco board “sanitizes” crime terminology

As San Francisco crime rates continue to climb, the city’s Board of Supervisors has adopted new language for referring to criminals, Fox News reported.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a convicted felon or an offender released from custody will now be known as a “formerly incarcerated person,” a “justice-involved” person, or just a “returning resident.” A juvenile “delinquent” will now be called a “young person with justice system involvement,” or a “young person impacted by the juvenile justice system.” And drug addicts or substance abusers will be referred to as “a person with a history of substance use.”

Local officials say the new language will help change people’s views about those who commit crimes, but as the Chronicle pointed out, this will lead to quite a bit of confusion in future criminal cases.

For example, an individual whose car was broken into could be referred to police as “a person who has come in contact with a returning resident who was involved with the justice system and who is currently under supervision with a history of substance use.”


Rachel Kookogey is a contributor to TheRichValdes.com
Follow on Twitter @rach_kookogey

H/T: Fox News