EDIT: New York City officials realize true plight of sex workers

The state of New York has announced five new courts will open to begin treating people caught up in sex trafficking like victims or survivors instead of criminals. City officials will begin to take steps to ensure sex workers have the option to rehabilitate if they use drugs, to learn about sexual health, and even gain access to job training. New York has effectively pushed the blame from alleged sex workers to their pimps.

Essentially, if a prostitution charge moves past arraignment, the alleged prostitute will be sent to one of five new courts geared towards breaking the cycle of sex trafficking. There, they can plead their case to a judge with an attorney present. According to a Wednesday NBC News story, the courts are set to open as early as the end of October.

New York is making a momentous move to combat sex trafficking, simply by shifting the blame from the alleged prostitutes to those who control them. By offering sex workers options other than jail time, people will be able to start anew with the proper resources. But what breeds sex work?

Here’s how women protested the sex trade in Amsterdam:

While standing behind tall glass windows, dancers in the De Wallen Red Light district snagged the attention of pedestrians, both male and female, with intricate, jerky choreography as dubstep shook the street. As men watched the women gyrating and crumping, they smiled and danced along, imitating the dancers. At the end of the routine, the five women pointed to the roof of the building to a message. It read, “Every year thousands of women are promised a dance career in Western Europe. Sadly, they end up here.” The video ends with every audience member noticeably shocked and bothered.

Let’s face it: Most sex workers are there unwillingly. We hear chilling stories of young girls and boys running away from home and ending up working the street at 13 years old. Prostitution is a completely misguided charge for most alleged sex workers because they are forced into the “industry.” Pimps and kidnappers are to blame for prostitution, not the people selling their bodies to ensure their personal safety when they return home for the night.

New York is the first state to open courts to help these people. Yes, prostitution is legal in certain rural counties in Nevada, but New York state provides options to rehabilitate people by providing a myriad of social services. This is more of a debate about sex workers’ safety as opposed to a person’s right to their own body. These courts will challenge the very framework of the sex trafficking industry in the U.S. by taking people off the street without a prison sentence.

The courts will also challenge the stigma placed on sex workers. It proves that these people are stuck in a vicious cycle of jail time leading back to a red light district. These people flow in and out of systems that breed distrust for the legal system and hatred of law enforcement. Now, sex workers in New York will know they have the state on their side.