A recent write-up from Daily Caller looked at the concern brought on by a pro-prostitution bill signed into law. The pro-prostitution bill in discussion is the one proposed by state Senator Scott Weiner of California. Some anti-human trafficking groups, like our own Saved in America, are worried that this will only worsen the current state of the industry within America. 

Saved in America’s Take

While there are opinions on both sides of the issue, the people who make up the Saved in America organization have a unique understanding of the human trafficking industry thanks to their work to rescue girls from its clutches for decades. Stephanie Brown, who is the Vice President of Saved in America said the following about the group’s thoughts on this controversial law:

“Our goal is to end modern-day slavery, laws like this help to perpetuate activities like this, so it leaves children in a worse position…89% of women in prostitution do not want to be in prostitution, and typically they were recruited as minors.” 

More Evidence the Bill Is Not Helping the Problem

Stephanie Powell, a Los Angeles police officer, explains that since the bill's passage, the number of prostitutes in the city has nearly doubled. What was once 30 girls has now become 60 to 65. She said the following about the bill and how it has made their job as law enforcement officers that much harder:

“The minute the governor signed it, you started seeing an uptick on the streets, and social media, the pimps are saying ‘you better get out there and work because the streets are ours’.”

The Senator Claims It Isn’t Aimed at Human Traffickers

According to the Senator, the reason for the bill was not to make it easier on sex traffickers but instead to prevent police from profiling and arresting people who look like they intend to sell sex, a group he says victimizes trans, black, and brown women most often. Vanessa Russell, the founder and executive director of Love Never Fails (another anti-human trafficking group that works with survivors), explains that even though the Senator might have meant no harm, this bill is most certainly harmful and the decriminalization of prostitution most certainly does affect human trafficking. She states, “We know wherever there is permissible sex work, there is always going to be human trafficking.”