Name: Washtenaw County will no longer prosecute consensual sex work
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Washtenaw County will no longer prosecute consensual sex work

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Detroit Free Press Washtenaw County's new prosecutor says his office will no longer pursue charges against adults who engage in consensual sex work, a move that national advocates praised as a win for marginalized people.The that Prosecutor Eli Savit issued Thursday applies to both people who sell sex and those who solicit it.Savit's policy cites research showing that criminalization forces sex workers to operate&nbsp;in a black market and in isolated areas,&nbsp;exposing them to violence and exploitation.&nbsp;The threat of prosecution makes sex workers and survivors of trafficking less likely to report crimes, he said."As with other prohibitionist policies, the criminalization of sex work actually increases the risk of sex work-adjacent harm," Savit said in an announcement on the&nbsp;. "Forcing sex workers to operate in the shadows increases their susceptibility to physical assault, sexual assault&nbsp;and trafficking."The prosecutor's office says it will continue to file charges related to human trafficking, violence and sexual assault that arise&nbsp;from sex work, and the solicitation of sex from minors. The office will also still seek charges against pimps. The policy directive prohibits prostitution and solicitation charges against people who were forced to engage in sex work.&nbsp;Savit's announcement Thursday is the latest in a number of reforms he's implemented since taking office earlier this month. He recently announced his staff&nbsp;, and they won't prosecute for the possession or small-scale distribution of .More:More:Savit's policy says the criminalization of sex work in America&nbsp;is "in tension with constitutionally protected liberties." Laws banning consensual sex between adults&nbsp;generally violate the United States Constitution.&nbsp;The policy goes on to state: "It is only when sex is exchanged for money that such activity may be banned. But even once money enters the equation, sex is not consistently criminalized. Pornography, for example, is generally legal in the United States."A movement to decriminalize prostitution in America has been ongoing for decades, said&nbsp;Melissa Broudo, legal director of , a national advocacy nonprofit. Organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch&nbsp;and the American Civil Liberties Union have called for the decriminalization of consensual sex work.&nbsp;Over the last few years, the&nbsp;emergence of more progressive prosecutors has resulted in&nbsp;policy changes in places like San Francisco and Philadelphia. Numerous candidates for the&nbsp;Manhattan District Attorney have come out in support of the&nbsp;decriminalization of sex work, Broudo said."It does feel like the tide is turning, that elected officials are being responsive to facts and data on this issue," she said.Broudo and others said they expect&nbsp;Washtenaw County's policy to have an impact&nbsp;on marginalized individuals who do sex work. Nearly 40% of adults and about 60% of youth arrested for prostitution in America in 2015 were Black, . The organization also points to reports showing that&nbsp;Black transgender individuals who sell sex are&nbsp;particularly vulnerable to harassment and violence from police.&nbsp;"This is a really wonderful thing that other jurisdictions should duplicate because across the country, Black folks ... and also trans&nbsp;and cisgender women all bear the disproportionate burden of criminalization," said RJ Thompson, a sex worker who is managing director of&nbsp;the of the Urban Justice Center, a national legal services and advocacy group.In Michigan, prostitution and solicitation can be misdemeanor or felony offenses. The punishments range from a maximum of 93 days in jail and/or a fine of not more than $500&nbsp;for a misdemeanor&nbsp;to up to two years in prison and/or a fine of not more than $2,000&nbsp;for a felony.&nbsp;The Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Officewill dismiss pending cases against defendants who would not have been charged under the new policy, Savit said.&nbsp;Under the policy, prosecutors also won't contest applications for expungement when the underlying charge arose from the consensual exchange of sex for money.&nbsp;Krystle DuPree, political director of Black Lives Matter Ann Arbor, was part of a work group that offered feedback on the policy. She said the change&nbsp;sends a message that "sex work is work" and shouldn't be treated as a crime.&nbsp;"I think decriminalization&nbsp;of&nbsp;sex work&nbsp;is the first step toward combating that stigma," she said.Angie Jackson covers the challenges of formerly incarcerated citizens as a corps member with Report for America.&nbsp;Her work is supported by The GroundTruth Project and the Hudson-Webber Foundation.&nbsp; to make a tax-deductible contribution to&nbsp;support her work. .&nbsp;&nbsp;Contact Angie: ; 313-222-1850. Follow her on Twitter:

Detroit Free Press Washtenaw County's new prosecutor says his office will no longer pursue charges against adults who engage in consensual sex work, a move that national advocates praised as a win for marginalized people.The that Prosecutor Eli Savit issued Thursday applies to both people who sell sex and those who solicit it.Savit's policy cites research showing that criminalization forces sex workers to operate&nbsp;in a black market and in isolated areas,&nbsp;exposing them to violence and exploitation.&nbsp;The threat of prosecution makes sex workers and survivors of trafficking less...

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Angie Jackson

The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primarily serves Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw, and Monroe counties.  The Free Press is also the largest city newspaper owned by Gannett, which also publishes USA Today. The Free Press has received ten Pulitzer Prizes and four Emmy Awards. Its motto is "On Guard for 189 Years".

Washtenaw County will no longer prosecute consensual sex work

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