About every other day the searing mental images formed when I read this summer's special report on
children involved in street prostitution in Seattle pop back into my mind. It is a part of the city's underbelly that is shameful, ugly, and horrific for the kids involved.
We are taking steps to help children escape, such as the proposal to establish safe housing with full wraparound care and treatment services. The King County Council will vote on October 6 on the final funding decision.
This past week the Council removed financial penalties from criminal sanctions imposed on those involved in prostitution, but kept them in place—in fact, doubled the financial penalty to $1,000—for "johns," the exploiters of women and men involved in prostitution who enter diversion programs.
We must do more. New York just enacted a law that removes all criminal penalties from children involved in prostitution and instead provides them with safe-house escape and a full array of social services. Read the New York Times story here and the editorial support here.