As a volunteer GAL (guardian at leitem) for CASA I have to represent children in court that are dealing with being in the children services systems for multiple reasons. Primarily they are there for abuse or sex trafficking. With this organization we have to spend some time training and getting continuing education credits. This week we had a week long seminar on sex trafficking and its victims. Which brings me to the systemic injustices of sex workers. From this seminar I heard from victims, police, judges and senators. This made me think of the incident with Cyntonia Brown. At the time she was 16 when she was arrested and tried for murder for killing an adult man that was having sexual relations with her. After spending 15 years in jail there were then movements in hoping to release her which were eventually successful. However, can we take back those years of abuse? Can we fix the fact she spent all those years in prison?
What I concluded is that due to our current justice system we are failing victims and systemically oppressing sex workers. If I thought about our reading Can the Subaltern Speak? I think of how we negate and remove the voices of those being oppressed and force our own views of what we believe they should feel and how they should be treated. Many sex workers are forced into the lifestyle from abuse, homelessness, kidnapping, grooming, and forced drugs. Which later on causes drug dependency. However, due to our current justice system the sex worker is the one that is being criminalized and not the people seeking the arrangement. Since the seeker is not being penalized they can continue to thrive and succeed in life. However, the victim worker is forced to serve jail time. They end up with felonies that prevent them from working. Since they cannot get a regular job due to their criminal record, they remain or become homeless. Thus leading them into another situation where they depend on people who place them back into sex work. Where they get arrested again and go back to jail and end up with new charges. Thus creating a cycle they can never get ahead from. By decriminalizing sex work and putting the charges on the correct people (the seeker) we can potentially limit the amount of demand people have for these victims. Hopefully giving them more opportunities to have better lives after already suffering the way they have been. However, until changes are made the system is not set up to help these victims and but keep them oppressed.
Below I have attached a link to NPR which goes on to tell her story.
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/07/749025458/cyntoia-brown-released-after-15-years-in-prison-for-murder
I have also added a link to 10 facts about human trafficking.
https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/facts-human-trafficking/
Citations
10 facts about human trafficking. (2019, December 10). Retrieved March 27, 2021, from https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/facts-human-trafficking/
Allyn, B. (2019, August 07). Cyntoia Brown released after 15 years in prison for murder. Retrieved March 26, 2021, from https://www.npr.org/2019/08/07/749025458/cyntoia-brown-released-after-15-years-in-prison-for-murder
I really enjoyed reading your post! This is an issue that I feel is not very well known, so I am glad that you have shown some light on it. It is horrible that Cyntonia spent 15 years in prison for this. That issue brings up another problem which is innocent people sitting in jail for something they did not do. You did a nice job of illustrating how this issue is systemic.
I really loved your post for the diary showcase! I think that your volunteer work being the main motivator to choose this topic really shows your dedication and gives your research a purpose. I also liked how you informed your reader on the laws regarding sex working because not everyone knows about it! Great work!
I really liked this showcase. It really made me realize how much our system lacks the protection for women. And in some cases men as well. I loved how you included the story and really expanded on it. I have heard of this woman and have been very curious in her story now.
Hi! I found your systematic diary extremely interesting! I also really enjoyed reading something that you have had a personal connection to through your volunteering. When writing these diaries, it never crossed my mind this topic and I am really glad you have pointed this out! I had no idea the type of cycle these women go through from going in and out of jail. It is extremely shocking that Cyntonia Brown spent that long in jail! Thank you for sharing!
Hi!
Your project was very insightful, and I find it awesome that you are a GAL volunteer. I also find it very upsetting and backwards that the victim often gets blamed. This is something that occurs in other systems within our country too and it needs to be acknowledged. Cyntonia Brown’s story is absolutely heart retching but it provides for a perfect example of the injustice you are illustrating.
I found your post very interesting. It is hard to imagine what the victims go through. This is an issue that does not get enough attention. Human trafficking will not get solved unless more people are aware of it.
I loved the insight you offered on your project! I like how you connected sex trafficking victims to the subaltern! I think that this is a good example of what it means to be subaltern that I haven’t thought about before. I also never thought about the cycle of what happens when people can’t get a job because of their criminal record and have to depend on people who place them back into sex work and how that cycle is hard to escape.
You made some good points in the post. It makes sense that you would want to legalize sex work since there are individuals that are genuinely interested in the industry but at the same time, you want law enforcement to crack down on people who traffic minors and force individuals into sex work against their will. One part I found confusing is what you were referring to when saying you wanted to punish the seeker. Specifically, when you wanted to legalize sex work and then punish the “seeker” it made me think it could have meant the customers wanting the services in a legalized context which did not make sense to me. Other than that, it is awful the abuse that victims of human trafficking go through and I hope there is a better effort to seek out and punish the organizers of the group of trafficked individuals and not punish the ones who were forced into the sex work.
Hello.
I thought this was a very good and interesting post. It’s crazy for to imagine that people have to go through that, and it’s almost like they are trapped in a cycle that they can’t get out of to provide for themselves. Thanks for your post!