Prostitution &: Incarceration

This series is called “Prostitution &.” The series will highlight the complex and multifaceted phenomenon that is commercial sexual exploitation. Today, I will discuss how criminalization of sexual exploitation and incarceration negatively impact victims. You may also want to read previous posts in the series, “Prostitution &: An introduction,” “Prostitution &: Public Health,” “Prostitution &: Poverty,” “Prostitution &: Segregation,” and “Prostitution &: Barriers to services.”

Another significant barrier to services exists for victims of exploitation: The United States' criminal justice system.

Victims of prostitution are also victims of the War on Crime (Thompson, 2013; Balfour, 2013). Since ancient times, governments have attempted to regulate and profit from prostitution (DeCou, 1998). The Selective Service Act of 1917 was the first movement to criminalize women being prostituted because of the spread of venereal disease among U.S. soldiers. In other words, women — who were forced to prostitute for survival — were penalized via incarceration because of the negative effects men's bad choices had on men.

Since then, approximately 90,000 prostitution arrests are made each year (DeCou, 1998). My own analysis of over 1,200 unique case files of adult female survivors of exploitation found that survivors of exploitation averaged nine arrests (Furlong, unpublished manuscript). Along with lost time spent in jail, additional consequences can include crippling fees, lost employment opportunities, a loss of parental rights, and sex offender registration. Placement on the sex offender registry enforces limitations that will nearly ensure that the individual will never be able to exit exploitation.

The final portion of the series will be out next week — “Prostitution &: Resilience!”