Pros And Cons Of Decriminalizing Prostitution
Most industrialized countries have a form of decriminalized or legalized prostitution. Hence, a number of nations have experimented with a variety of progressive measures, many of which are detailed in Chapter Four. Unfortunately, most of those policies aren’t politically viable in the U.S at this time. With that in mind, the ideal policy would for indoor prostitution to be decriminalized, as opposed to legalized, as that outcome could actually fit within American culture. No commercial business can openly profit from prostitution when it’s decriminalized, thereby eliminating the possibility of an ultra-commercialized, mega-brothel industry that exists in some other countries. Decriminalization differs from legalization by simply removing those
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Everyone who supports criminal penalties for prostitution isn’t necessarily a prude, nor is every person who supports eliminating those laws a lecherous individual. Decriminalization is simply a pragmatic strategy. You’re certainly entitled to feeling offended by prostitution, but criminal penalties will never reduce the social and economic forces that cause someone to choose to become a prostitute. In fact, the criminal justice system’s revolving door of repeated arrests, fines, and jail time only makes it even more difficult for someone to quit the sex trade. After all, there are an estimated 1 million prostitutes in the U.S. and their misdemeanor arrests remain on their record for seven years. In fact, repeat offenders in some states can be charged with felonies and are added to the sex offender registry, both of which remain on their record permanently. Think about it, name a company that is willing to hire someone who has been arrested for prostitution?
Yvette Brooks-Godley is a brave woman who has been quite forthcoming about her past and explained how prison resulted in the exact opposite of its rehabilitation goals. “(The penitentiary) never addressed my issues that led me to prostitution,” she declares. She had been in and out of jail for prostitution charges on countless occasions, yet her time there simply helped her become more adept in this underground industry. Through the connections she gained behind bars, she learned the prime locations of where to work and when the vice stings would
Everyone who supports criminal penalties for prostitution isn’t necessarily a prude, nor is every person who supports eliminating those laws a lecherous individual. Decriminalization is simply a pragmatic strategy. You’re certainly entitled to feeling offended by prostitution, but criminal penalties will never reduce the social and economic forces that cause someone to choose to become a prostitute. In fact, the criminal justice system’s revolving door of repeated arrests, fines, and jail time only makes it even more difficult for someone to quit the sex trade. After all, there are an estimated 1 million prostitutes in the U.S. and their misdemeanor arrests remain on their record for seven years. In fact, repeat offenders in some states can be charged with felonies and are added to the sex offender registry, both of which remain on their record permanently. Think about it, name a company that is willing to hire someone who has been arrested for prostitution?
Yvette Brooks-Godley is a brave woman who has been quite forthcoming about her past and explained how prison resulted in the exact opposite of its rehabilitation goals. “(The penitentiary) never addressed my issues that led me to prostitution,” she declares. She had been in and out of jail for prostitution charges on countless occasions, yet her time there simply helped her become more adept in this underground industry. Through the connections she gained behind bars, she learned the prime locations of where to work and when the vice stings would