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Sex Workers in Prison LOUISE CLARK UK

Sex Workers in Prison LOUISE CLARK UK. Current Prostitution Policy & Law Legal to sell sex BUT loitering/soliciting is illegal! 2004 Paying The Price Consultation 2006 Co-ordinated Prostitution Policy 2009 Policing & Crime Bill. Women in Prison.

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Sex Workers in Prison LOUISE CLARK UK

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  1. Sex Workers in Prison LOUISE CLARK UK

  2. Current Prostitution Policy & Law Legal to sell sex BUT loitering/soliciting is illegal! 2004 Paying The Price Consultation 2006 Co-ordinated Prostitution Policy 2009 Policing & Crime Bill

  3. Women in Prison • June 2009 4,269 (60% increase in last 10 years )‏ • Over 3rd no previous convictions • 20% on remand & 68% non violent offences • In 2007 majority serving custodial sentence for shoplifting • 28% finance motivated • 70% less than 6 months, average stay 28 days, revolving door • 78% psychological disturbance – self harm high • 58% took drugs daily in last 6 months prior to custody • 37% attempted suicide in life • Over representation of those from care system, DV & abuse, family problems, BME

  4. Griffins Society Research Fellowship: • Provision of Support for Imprisoned Adult Female Street Sex Workers (2006)‏ • One year qualitative study • To ascertain: • What specialist services existed for sex workers in prison • How services accessed and delivered • Awareness amongst prison based staff of the needs of sex workers in their care • What prison-based strategies existed for supporting the needs of sex workers in their care

  5. Sex workers in prison • Prison staff • Project staff • Sex workers in the community • Academics and campaigners • Questionnaires & Interviews • 14 women's prisons across England, 50% response • 30 staff, 11 sex workers

  6. Research Findings Law Physical & mental well-being support provision Knowledge of services by staff & women Formal links Access to Services Attitudes/response to disclosure Staff training Needs: Trauma & Risk Policy Funding

  7. Recommendations: Develop awareness and knowledge base of prison staff and challenge stereotypical/discriminatory views of sex workers in prison & make links with local sex work projects

  8. Projects: Anawim (Birmingham) Armistead (Liverpool) LighthouseProject (Liverpool) MASH (Manchester) NewHorizon Youth Centre (London) One25 (Bristol)‏ Open Doors (London)‏ Routes Out (Liverpool)‏ Women’s Work (Derby) Who was trained? 18 month pilot 32 Prison staff trained to be Trainers 15 Project staff trained to be Trainers (9 projects)‏ 35 Training sessions 292 Staff trained HMP Drake Hall Eastwood Park Foston Hall Holloway Styal

  9. Issues covered: (Focus on street work)‏ • Current government policy • Law and sex work • What is ‘sex work’ • Who are sex workers • Drugs, health and sex work • Safer working techniques • Desistance and Harm Minimisation • Responding to disclosure • Good practice when supporting women

  10. Findings of SWIP Project Evaluation Pre & Post training questionnaire: 16 questions using Likert scale or preference statements

  11. Evaluation: RaisingAwareness Increase in support for decriminlisati of the owmen Increase in identifying women as other then victim Clients: Employed & White collar, decrease in motivations of higher male sex drive & promiscuity. Colleagues as purchasers 10%-30%

  12. Evaluation: • Support Needs • Broaden awareness post training beyond sex work to include accommodation and children • Disclosure • More confident to identify strategies & pathways & • accessing safer working info, provision of support • Partnerships

  13. Evaluation: • Over all • 89% More confident • 77% Identified own attitudes • 50%+ Greatly increased knowledge on desistance, harm • minimisation, support needs & support services

  14. Recommendations: All Pathways Extend Partnership Work: Court Diversion, Working with Partners of SW, Indoor Working, Transgender Workers, Trafficked Workers, Migrant Workers, Schools Wider Training Audience – Health, Probation (PSRs), Police, DWP Pathway 9: Champion Safer Working & Ham Minimisation (Ugly Mugs) Updating Knowledge Base on Law & Policy UKNSWP Toolkit Sexual Well-being Support for Women in Prison Advice/Release Kits Talk to the women and specialist organisations, service design, forums, evaluation, community links

  15. Rolling out to remaining 10 prisons in England Delivered as part of national training Delivered by 2 staff Future of SWIP

  16. More Info : www.thegriffinssociety.org Prison Reform Trust – Bromley Briefings UKNSWP IUSW

  17. louise@redbear.org.uk 00 44 7984 629 985 www.redbear.org.uk Providing research, training and policy development for criminal justice and voluntary sector organisations

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