Governor Quinn Signs Bill 1872 Ending Felony Prostitution In Illinois!

Yesterday, Governor Pat Quinn signed the legislation to end felony prostitution, which goes into effect immediately.  This is certainly good news!         "The tremendous support we received for this bill marks an important shift in our state's response to prostituted people. Lawmakers from both parties recognized that the current approach was not working and that people in prostitution deserve our help and support," said Lynne Johnson, director of policy and advocacy for the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation.   Bill 1872 removes prostitution from the class of felony prosecution and makes it a Class A misdemeanor in which a possible sentence is up to one year in jail and a fine of $2,500.  Prosecuting felony prostitution can be expensive.  It targets women for harsher punishment yet studies show it does not deter the crime. The signing of this bill sends a clear message that felony prostitution is not the right tool for prosecutors working to end sex trafficking and prostitution.  Punishing those who had been exploited in the sex trade is not the right approach.   “The focus needs to be on rehabilitation,” says State’s Attorney Joe Bruscato   Before the signing of Bill 1872, Illinois was one of only eight states with this harsher and more costly level of sentencing for prostitution, with someone eligible for a felony-level charge sending them to prison after one prior conviction.   The End Demand Illinois campaign, was instrumental in getting this bill passed.  They seek to change how law enforcement deals with prostitution. Advocates say johns, pimps and traffickers should be held more accountable. As you can see from the End Demand graph, arrests for prostitution far out weigh the arrest of those who are purchasing sex.  And this needs to change.

People who buy sex create the demand for the commercial sex trade, but they are rarely arrested. This chart shows the arrests of prostituted people and customers when law enforcement charged the crimes under Illinois’ criminal code. Data collected by Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 2012 Someone who has been controlled by a pimp and forced to have sex should be treated as a victim.  They need services to help them rebuild their life.  A felony record only serves to make their healing and rehabilitation even more difficult. It can be harder for them to find good housing and proper employment among other things. I think another good thing about this bill is that it has the potential to encourage victims to work with law enforcement.  Without the threat of a felony on their record, they could be more willing to give information about their pimp and help put him behind bars where he belongs. To view the progress of this bill:  SB 1872