Dear Friends:
Here's an update on the quest to reform the prostitution laws in Rhode Island. The current draft (as described here) sounds very good.
Abolition!
Lisa
Here's an update on the quest to reform the prostitution laws in Rhode Island. The current draft (as described here) sounds very good.
Abolition!
Lisa
By Ray Henry
Published on 8/29/2009
Providence - Indoor prostitution would become a crime in Rhode Island under a draft bill intended to break an impasse between lawmakers eager to shut down brothels and those who oppose penalizing destitute women, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.
Rhode Island is the only state in the country that allows paid sex indoors, however it's legal in some Nevada counties. Brothels operating as thinly disguised saunas and massage parlors advertise "Beautiful Asian Girls," "Table Shower" and "Body Shampoo" in a weekly newspaper.
The flourishing sex trade is the consequence of a legislative mistake in 1980. Trying to crack down on street walkers plaguing a Providence neighborhood, lawmakers passed an anti-prostitution law that punished prostitutes who operate in public but was silent on paid sex in private.
After years of trying, House and Senate lawmakers passed conflicting bills this year trying to close that loophole but could not agree on the penalties and other specifics before taking a summer break. The recent draft reflects ongoing talks between negotiators for the General Assembly, police, prosecutors and Gov. Don Carcieri.
Under the draft, prostitution would become a petty misdemeanor regardless where it occurs. Those convicted would face a maximum six months in prison and up to a $250 fine. Customers convicted of a second offense could be punished by one year in prison and a $500 fine.
Approving those penalties would represent a concession from Senate lawmakers, who earlier approved a bill making first offenses a violation, a minor offense that prosecutors compared to a speeding ticket. Only those convicted of a third offense would have faced jail time.
The draft retained a House feature allowing the acquittal of accused prostitutes who claim they were forced into sex work by someone who threatened them, held them against their will or took their immigration paperwork, making it difficult to escape.
Sen. Paul Jabour, D-Providence, one of the original bill sponsors, had not seen the draft Friday afternoon. He said the negotiators still are working and that lawmakers always can amend legislation as they see fit.
Another sponsor, Rep. Joanne Giannini, D-Providence, also had not seen the document but said there was no deal. She said House staffers still are working on additional drafts.
Sen. Rhoda Perry, who has opposed jailing prostitutes suffering from poverty or drug addiction, said reaching a deal would be easier if the final bill included assurances that prostitutes could get education, job training, housing and other help.
"The intent of the General Assembly is not just to prosecute and lock up these women and leave them to their own poverty," Perry said.
Published on 8/29/2009
Providence - Indoor prostitution would become a crime in Rhode Island under a draft bill intended to break an impasse between lawmakers eager to shut down brothels and those who oppose penalizing destitute women, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press.
Rhode Island is the only state in the country that allows paid sex indoors, however it's legal in some Nevada counties. Brothels operating as thinly disguised saunas and massage parlors advertise "Beautiful Asian Girls," "Table Shower" and "Body Shampoo" in a weekly newspaper.
The flourishing sex trade is the consequence of a legislative mistake in 1980. Trying to crack down on street walkers plaguing a Providence neighborhood, lawmakers passed an anti-prostitution law that punished prostitutes who operate in public but was silent on paid sex in private.
After years of trying, House and Senate lawmakers passed conflicting bills this year trying to close that loophole but could not agree on the penalties and other specifics before taking a summer break. The recent draft reflects ongoing talks between negotiators for the General Assembly, police, prosecutors and Gov. Don Carcieri.
Under the draft, prostitution would become a petty misdemeanor regardless where it occurs. Those convicted would face a maximum six months in prison and up to a $250 fine. Customers convicted of a second offense could be punished by one year in prison and a $500 fine.
Approving those penalties would represent a concession from Senate lawmakers, who earlier approved a bill making first offenses a violation, a minor offense that prosecutors compared to a speeding ticket. Only those convicted of a third offense would have faced jail time.
The draft retained a House feature allowing the acquittal of accused prostitutes who claim they were forced into sex work by someone who threatened them, held them against their will or took their immigration paperwork, making it difficult to escape.
Sen. Paul Jabour, D-Providence, one of the original bill sponsors, had not seen the draft Friday afternoon. He said the negotiators still are working and that lawmakers always can amend legislation as they see fit.
Another sponsor, Rep. Joanne Giannini, D-Providence, also had not seen the document but said there was no deal. She said House staffers still are working on additional drafts.
Sen. Rhoda Perry, who has opposed jailing prostitutes suffering from poverty or drug addiction, said reaching a deal would be easier if the final bill included assurances that prostitutes could get education, job training, housing and other help.
"The intent of the General Assembly is not just to prosecute and lock up these women and leave them to their own poverty," Perry said.
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