Newsnight again provides the focus for some criminological debate.. Did anyone see it last night? http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00slqlg/Newsnight_27_05_2010/
It lead with the murders of three prostitutes in Bradford, and subsequent arrest of a man for the crimes (criminology doctorate student no less - as if we don't have a bad enough reputation as it is). Not the finest of Newsnight reports I have to say, but nonetheless highlight the perennial problem of how best to deal with prostitution. What should the aim of policy be? To keep women safe (and therefore decriminalise it, so they can operate in relatively public places, or perhaps in saunas etc where there is better security)? To try and stop prostitution 'at the source'? (i.e. criminalise the men who use prostitutes? This then also drives it underground though, putting prostitutes at the same risk again). Or to criminalise it completely and send out a clear message to men that using prostitutes is unacceptable and try and help women who are at risk to come off drugs or whatever?
Similarly to Jared's posting about the immigration issue in Arizona, police emphasise that they need to have good relations with this section of the population and criminalising them will impede that. There have been recent attempts to completely criminalise prostitution in Scotland, lead by some strong feminist minded MSPs, but they were defeated in Parliament thank goodness.
Can it ever be stopped? Or should policy just be pragmatic and mange the problem? Discuss.. (only joking)
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