Dr. Evaristus Obinyan, associate professor in MGA’s Department of Psychology and Criminal Justice, recently had his work, “The ‘Bulimic Over-Criminalization’ of ‘Social Junk’: Origin and Function of the Berkeley County, West Virginia,” published in The Pursuit Journal.
Co-written with West Virginia University’s Dr. Scott K. Turner, the paper’s abstract states:
“Berkeley County, West Virginia’s was amid a revitalization effort that was ‘threatened’ by panhandlers. In response, the Berkeley County Council (BCC) enacted the ‘Ordinance Facilitating the Free Flow of Motor Vehicle Traffic on Streets and Roadways in the County and Promoting the Health, Safety, and Welfare of Pedestrians’ (BCC Instrument # 5832 2016). We argue that the BCC law was designed to criminalize panhandlers to further Berkeley’s revitalization efforts and serve the interests of investors, property owners, and some residents while suppressing the liberty interests of paupers and controlling their movements.”
