SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - All Lindsey Griffin felt the day she was arrested was an overwhelming sense of peace. Weeks of running from the police, selling her body for survival and drug use came to a sudden end that fateful Friday the 13th in November.
“I had come to the end of myself when I got arrested. I was so exhausted from running,” Griffin said.
What Griffin may not have realized at that time was her upcoming time in jail would offer her the chance to turn her life around.
A new diversion program is offering prostitutes, such as Griffin, a chance to leave “the life” for good.
The program, started in December 2015, is a collaboration of the Caddo District Attorney’s office and the Shreveport-based Purchased: Not for Sale program. It’s a bold attempt to reduce the recurring exploitation of women and young girls, rather than treat prostitution as just another criminal act.
Holly McGinnis, a Caddo assistant district attorney who joined the office in 2014, said she hadn’t been prosecuting prostitution cases for very long before she noticed the same names over and over.
McGinnis works closely with Paige Holcomb, diversion coordinator for Purchased, to identify good candidates for the program. Women can’t have violent crimes on their rap sheets and have to choose to be court-ordered into the yearlong Purchased program, which involves weekly classes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., counseling and life skills training. The district attorney’s office drops the prostitution charges once the women graduate, McGinnis said.
Holcomb said many adults caught in the system were introduced to “the life” by family or friends at a young age - most becoming involved with prostitution on average between 12 and 14 years-old.
Those in prostitution are often given drugs by their pimps or choose to use in order to cope with physical and emotional trauma. They often land in jail on either prostitution or drug-related charges.
“The population is so much bigger than people realize. The population is huge,” Holcomb said.
Holcomb and her team visit Caddo Correctional Center on a weekly basis to talk with female inmates and identify those who may want out of prostitution. It was through jail outreach that the team came across Griffin.
Originally from Texas, Griffin was in jail on felony counts of methamphetamine use and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
“It really took a toll on me, and it really becomes so heavy and miserable,” she said.
Holcomb and McGinnis both acknowledged the strength it takes for women to commit to the program. Those who choose to commit genuinely want to change their lives, McGinnis said.
Currently in her fourth week in the program, Griffin attends classes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. three days a week. She also has access to medical care, counseling and treatment services. As she progresses, she also will learn how to take care of her own finances, apply for jobs and apartments and brush up on social skills. The emphasis on life skills has been particularly helpful, Griffin said.
Holcomb said she is currently working with six women from the Caddo Parish court-ordered diversion program, whom she says are doing “as expected.” Holcomb said women bring significant trauma from their life experiences and the road to recovery requires hard work for both the women and the staff.
“It’s not something where you can just flip a switch,” Holcomb said. “Recovering from the life of prostitution comes all the way down to basic choices you make every morning. It requires rewiring your entire brain.”
McGinnis said District Attorney James Stewart and Chief Deputy District Attorney Wilber Pryor are fully on board with the program as well.
Stewart said he saw McGinnis’ idea as a step in the right direction because the district attorney’s office tries to get non-violent offenders out of the system.
McGinnis said the district attorney’s office also is looking into a collaboration with the Caddo Parish Juvenile Justice system to identify children who are at-risk for becoming involved with prostitution.
“By law, kids cannot consent to performing sex acts, so in juvenile court you don’t have kids charged with prostitution,” McGinnis said. “What we’re looking for in juvenile court is kids who are at risk for becoming involved in that lifestyle. And honestly, most kids coming through juvenile court are going to be considered at risk.”
McGinnis said Purchased has tailored a juvenile diversion program to fit the schedules and needs of children. Children who opt into the program will attend after-school classes three days a week, and transportation will be provided. The program is scheduled to start in March.
“I have even bigger hopes for that program because I think we can really have an opportunity to touch more lives and have an even bigger impact,” McGinnis said. “Hopefully we can get the kids on the right track before they even come to district court.”
Clay Walker, judicial administrator of Caddo Parish Juvenile Justice systems, said a collaboration on a diversion program with the district attorney’s office would strengthen the programs the juvenile justice team already has in place to help children.
“We’re feeling optimistic. The DA’s office has a great deal of authority and a great deal of discretion, a great deal of presence and reputation in the community,” Walker said. “For the DA’s office to be in that process, I think it can only be a good thing.”
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Information from: The Times, https://www.shreveporttimes.com
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