NCJ Number
106997
Journal
Indian Journal of Social Work Volume: 47 Issue: 3 Dated: (October 1986) Pages: 335-340
Date Published
1986
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper examines some of the assumptions underlying the provisions for the arrest and processing of prostitutes in India and suggests some practical strategies for dealing with the problem, given the socioeconomic condition of these women and the existing legal framework.
Abstract
These assumptions include that all prostitutes are women, that prostitution is indecent and a public nuisance, and that prostitutes are less than complete human beings and therefore have no rights and no hope for rehabilitation. These assumptions have contributed to a legally and socially ineffective policy that results in a cycle of arrest, imprisonment, release, and rearrest and does nothing to prevent the exploitation of girls and women by third parties. Instead, the focus should be on preventing exploitation, providing assistance to prostitutes wishing to leave the profession, providing special services to the children of prostitutes, and developing alternatives to imprisonment.