EDI Works to Eliminate Felony Prostitution in Illinois
In our latest legislative effort to transform Illinois’ response to the sex trade, End Demand Illinois has filed legislation and is currently lobbying to end the felony sentence for prostitution in Illinois.
UPDATE: On May 30, 2013, the Illinois General Assembly passed SB1872, and it will now head to Governor Pat Quinn's desk to be signed into law.
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Read the fact sheet for Senate Bill 1872, “Support Elimination of Felony Enhancement for Prostitution.”
Please note that this fact sheet is updated regularly, so check back for updates before sharing. Updates: April 11, 2013: Illinois Senate Passes SB 1872; Moves with Strong Momentum into the House March 13, 2013: Senate Criminal Law Committee Unanimously Approves SB 1872 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. Download the data fact sheet here. |
Currently, the felony sentence creates significant barriers to survivors of the sex trade who are trying to find employment and become productive members of the community. Many people in prostitution report being controlled by pimps, who force them into dangerous situations and abuse them. These felony charges are punishing the very people who are most in need of supportive services, and the charges do nothing to deter crime.
We believe that the arrest and re-arrest of people in prostitution is a violation of human rights and an ineffective response. End Demand Illinois is proposing to end the felony updgrade for prostitution with our latest legislative initiative, Illinois Senate Bill 1872.
EDI has created a fact sheet to appeal to lawmakers and opinion-shapers about why this law is not an effective use of state resources. Some highlights from the sheet include:
- Felony prostitution unfairly targets women for harsher punishments. The “solicitation” offense for customers does not have a felony upgrade for subsequent offenses.
- Felony prostitution sentencing is rare in the United States. Only eight other states have this sentencing option.
Stay up-to-date with our progress by signing up for our action alerts. If you have questions, please email CAASE's Policy and Advocacy Director Lynne Johnson at lynne@caase.org. Media inquiries should be directed to Kristin Claes Mathews: kristin@caase.org or 773-244-2230 ext 3.
The End Demand Illinois campaign is shifting law enforcement's attention to sex traffickers and people who buy sex, while proposing a network of support for survivors of the sex trade.
