Feature: Reducing Demand for Prostitutes

There is a "school" in San Francisco that can reduce recidivism. The First Offender Prostitution Program reduces the demand for prostitutes by educating prostitutes' "customers" about the negative results of their behavior.

The San Francisco District Attorney's office screens men who are arrested for soliciting prostitutes to see if they are eligible to attend the program. Those who qualify can choose between facing prosecution or paying a fee to attend a one-day class (known generically as the "john school").

An evaluation of the "john school" found that men who attended said they changed their attitudes and behavior. The evaluators found that the program significantly reduces rearrests related to prostitution.

The program is a partnership of the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, the San Francisco Police Department, a local nonprofit called Standing Against Global Exploitation, the San Francisco Department of Public Health and several non-governmental organizations.

Read the summary of the evaluation (pdf, 18 pages). Read the full report of the evaluation (pdf, 246 pages).

Highlights

• Three new forensic science solicitations:
• Solicitation: Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants Program  (pdf, 28 pages) (Posted 4/22/08).
  Application Deadline: May 30, 2008, 11:59 p.m. eastern time
• Forensic DNA Unit Efficiency Improvement (pdf, 15 pages) (Posted 4/23/2008).
  Application Deadline: May 23, 2008, 11:59 p.m. eastern time
• Using DNA Technology to Identify the Missing  (pdf, 14 pages) (Posted 4/23/2008).
  Application Deadline: May 23, 2008, 11:59 p.m. eastern time
• View all current funding opportunities

Paving the Way for Project Safe Neighborhoods: SACSI in 10 U.S. Cities  (Posted 4/24/2008)
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NIJ Conference 2008 , July 21–23, 2008
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Geography and Public Safety is a new quarterly publication produced by NIJ and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (Posted 3/19/2008)