Prostitution Fines Should Pay for Services; Seminar to Address Growing Need for Services to Those Involved in Prostitution

9/17/2002

From: Samir Goswami of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, 773-412-9248 (cell) or 312-435-4548

News Advisory:

What: A training seminar conducted by survivors of prostitution and experts on how to offer services to women in prostitution. Public release and briefing of two studies of 450 women in prostitution in Chicago conducted in 2001.

Where: The Hothouse, 31 East Balbo, Chicago

When: Wednesday, Sept. 18, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Study release: 9 a.m. Panel discussion: 11 a.m.

Who: The Chicago Coalition For The Homeless, Center for Impact Research, members of the Prostitution Alternatives Round Table (PART), survivors of prostitution, service providers, city and state officials

Details: Research indicates that as many as 16,000 to 25,000 women and girls are prostituted in a given year in the Chicago metropolitan area, the majority of whom are homeless. The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless formed the Prostitution Alternatives Round Table (PART) out of a growing awareness of the discrepancy between services provided concerning issues related to prostitution and the alarming number of those needing services in the Chicago area. The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless is advocating that the increase in fines for "johns" should go into services for those in prostitution, and are training social service providers to that end.