Strengths and challenges of creating and implementing a prostitution court

Problem solving courts have become more widespread in recent years with the development of more than 3,500 problem solving courts (2,459-drug courts & 1,189-other problem-solving courts) in the United States. Increasingly, prostitution courts are becoming a popular type of problem-solving court with eight prostitution courts nationwide. The purpose of this study is to highlight the Reaching Independence through Self-Empowerment (RISE) program, a prostitution court focused on helping women with extensive histories of prostitution, trauma, and substance abuse create a healthier lifestyle. There is a dearth of information about prostitution courts and how these courts help women successfully exit prostitution. Data analysis revealed strengths and challenges of the RISE program in four areas: political, partnerships, programmatic, and personal investment. The political strengths were inter-disciplinary buy-in and collaboration. A political challenge was stigma associated with prostitution. A partnership strength was the ongoing, positive relationships with many social service organizations. A partnership challenge was limited judicial control over community social services. A programmatic strength was a multi-disciplinary approach to meeting women’s health, mental health, and educational/vocational needs. The programmatic challenges were being different enough from jail, sanctions and rewards and realistic expectations. Personal investment involved the ways major stakeholders were dedicated to the program and the women. Prostitution courts are an important area of study. As more states, counties, and municipalities, explore the possibility of prostitution courts, it will be important to study the impact these courts have on the health and welfare of women with histories of prostitution.