Revolving Door - An Analysis of Street-Based Prostitution in New York City

Source
Juhu Thukral, Esq., and Melissa Ditmore, Ph.D
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Year
2003

This report examines the impact of law enforcement approaches to street-based sex work in New York City and proposes a series of policy and practice recommendations for reform based on the researchers’ analyses of the data collected. This report also seeks to promote reasoned, fact-based, and informed debate regarding street-based prostitution in New York City. Public discussion of this issue usually occurs in flashy headlines that are meant to titillate rather than to explore the consequences of policy decisions in depth. This is a special effort to give voice to the problems faced by street-based sex workers, using their own words, since this is a voice that is almost always left out of policy debates.

This report includes:

Key Findings

  • Demographics
  • Housing
  • Substance Dependency
  • Alternative Sentencing/Mandated Services
  • Family Situations
  • Police Interactions
  • Violence From Customers
  • Working
  • Future Plans and Attaining Goals
  • Legal and Other Needs

Key Conclusions
Key Recommendations

  • Public Discussion
  • Housing
  • Programmes and Services

Criminal Justice Policy

  • Police Interaction with Prostitutes
  • Mandated Services
  • Violence Against Prostitutes
  • Interference With Public Health Outreach Efforts

Introduction
New York City Context
Literature
Legal models addressing prostitution
Prostitution Laws in New York State
Criminal Law
Civil Law

  • Housing
  • Sex Workers as Victims of Sex Offenses

Methodology
Interviews

  • Sex Workers
  • Other Actors and Street Personalities
  • Service Providers and Advocates
  • City Agencies and Administrators

Ethnography
Statistical information
Findings
Demographics

  • Ethnicity/Race
  • Gender
  • Age
  • Involvement in prostitution
  • Housing Crisis
  • Substance Dependency
  • Alternative Sentences and Mandated Services
  • Family Situations

Police Interactions

  • Run-ins and Harassment
  • Police Violence
  • Police Violence and Sexual Harassment
  • Arrests
  • False Arrests
  • Entrapment
  • Attempts to Avoid Police Interaction
  • Tickets
  • Violence From Customers
  • Safety Precautions
  • Reporting Violent Incidents to the Police
  • Good Police Interactions

Working

  • Work Locations
  • Working Indoors versus Outdoors
  • Familiarity With Customers
  • Other Street Personalities
  • Finances
  • Arrest-Related Fears
  • Difficulties and Danger

Work History

  • Entry to Prostitution and Difficulties Exiting
  • Prior Employment
  • Future Plans and Attaining Goals
  • Neighborhood Complaints

Legal and Other Needs

  • Criminal
  • Child Welfare
  • Housing
  • Counselling and Supportive Services

Subjects’ Views

  • Views on Legal Change

Views of Service Providers and Advocates

  • Housing
  • Programmes and Services
  • Availability of Services
  • Types of Programmes and Services that Sex Workers Need
  • Economic Issues
  • Career Opportunities
  • Healthcare
  • Criminal Justice Policy
  • Police Interaction with Prostitutes
  • Mandated Services
  • Violence from Customers or Other Street Personalities
  • Interference with Public Health Outreach Efforts
  • Organised Prostitution Networks and Pimps

Conclusions
Recommendations
Public Discussion
Housing
Programmes and Services
Criminal Justice Policy

  • Police Interaction with Prostitutes
  • Mandated Services
  • Violence Against Prostitutes
  • Interference With Public Health Outreach Efforts
  • Organized Prostitution Networks And Pimps

Recommendations for Further Inquiry

 

You can download this 100 page PDF resource above. This resource is in English.