Texas considers or reconsiders sending prostitutes to Prison

[MathiasOfAthens]

Source Seattle Times:

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas may be forced to reconsider a state law that allows prosecutors to charge prostitutes with a felony and send them to prison after three misdemeanor convictions.
The Austin American-Statesman (http://bit.ly/MUchl4) reports that more than 350 prostitutes currently occupy bunks in state prisons, and some officials are wondering whether that makes sense.
State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, says "it's nuts" that Texas has so many prostitutes in prison. He says all the state is doing is "warehousing" people who would be better served getting treatment "so they can get out and stay out of this business."
The newspaper says it costs between $15,500 and $18,538 a year to house a convict in a state prison or lower-security jail. By contrast, community-based rehabilitation programs cost about $4,300 a year.

The interesting thing is at the end. The costs to rehabilitate prostitutes is much lower than the costs to house them in tiny cells. It honestly makes no financial sense or any other type of sense to send prostitutes to prison. It doesnt help society at all. But Texas never was one to be logical.

[magpie]

Just jail the pimps is my take on the subject.

[AqD]

Just jail the pimps is my take on the subject.

And turn jails into brothels. It should help the economics!

[magpie]

And turn jails into brothels. It should help the economics!

Well make the pimps turn tricks in tha jails and see how they like working at the sharp end?

[MathiasOfAthens]

Mine too but who knows if all the women have pimps. Sounds like the Texans are more interested in stings to catch prostitutes rather than their pimps.

[Bobz]

I really can't see what you gain by putting prostitutes in jail. As magpie said, lock the pimps away and those who have been exploiting vulnerable or trafficked women. Apart from that, spend the money towards helping the women move out of it, should they wish to.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

It certainly does make no sense. There are two kinds of prostitute. The poor, ghetto kind (the vast majority) who does it because it's the only way to make money for their drugs/child with no father. Sending them to jail achieves exactly nothing except making them more criminal and wasting money, when there are countless other things that could help them. Then there's the high class kind (5%) who make an awful lot of money and do it as a career choice even though in most cases they are educated and smart enough to be very successful elsewhere if they wanted to be. Why this latter kind should be persecuted for their career choice is beyond me.

Also at least in Chicago police officers are several times more likely to take advantage of freebies from ghetto protitutes than to arrest them. The latter kind are almost never caught.

[MathiasOfAthens]

The other percentage serve more wealthy clients as well and have less of an impact on society. They dont hang around street corners degrade neighborhoods.

[Armatus]

But Texas never was one to be logical.

Same could be said for the rest of the states who probably have similar laws except certain counties in Nevada.

[SLN445]

Wouldnt it be better to regulate the Industry then trying to Rehabilitate or Jail them?

[sumskilz]

Wouldnt it be better to regulate the Industry then trying to Rehabilitate or Jail them?

Yes, but it seems pragmatic solutions aren't viable because voters seem to think voting to legalize it is the same as advocating it.

[Celsius]

They shouldn't have been jailed in the first place. If they want to do something strange for a little change, let them.

[boofhead]

Just legalise it like in my country. Problem solved.

[PointOfViewGun]

I thought prostitution was legal in USA.

[I WUB PUGS]

I thought prostitution was legal in USA.

It's not Federal, most States don't even have laws against it. However most counties or municipalities do.

Texas used to have places that allowed it. Best Little Whore House in Texas is a real thing, or was rather. My Grandmother and Grandfather retired in La Grange and the Chicken Ranch (the name of the whore house) was just outside of town, I don't believe it was inside town limits so it was unincorporated so it fell on County Property, which Fayette County did not have an ordinance against prostitution.

See what I'm getting at?

[SLN445]

Im not realy sure if it is or not, but i presume it follows a State structure like most things and its Legal some places while Illegal or restricted in other States.

[boofhead]

It is illegal in the US, except for Nevada, which has legal brothels like most civilized countries. They don't need to waste time and money busting people for consensual acts in Nevada. They actually collect taxes off of it, like intelligent people.

[Armatus]

It is illegal in the US, except for Nevada, which has legal brothels like most civilized countries. They don't need to waste time and money busting people for consensual acts in Nevada. They actually collect taxes off of it, like intelligent people.

Almost, it's not legal in Vegas as ironic as that sounds.

[Celsius]

Almost, it's not legal in Vegas as ironic as that sounds.

Legally no, technically....it is.

[Dr. Croccer]

It is illegal in the US, except for Nevada, which has legal brothels like most civilized countries. They don't need to waste time and money busting people for consensual acts in Nevada. They actually collect taxes off of it, like intelligent people.

There's money to make in the prison industry as well.

That's the important thing. There's little reason to change stupid laws when lots of people make lots of money off of it, and those people use their money for political influence.