Murnan Aaron, England Gwen, Boch Samantha, Matthews Caneacha, Duah Henry O, Qasem Islam, Manchak Sarah
Department of Population Health, College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati, 3110 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH, 45219, USA.
Center for Addiction Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA.
Soc Sci Humanit Open. 2024;10. doi: 10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.101041. Epub 2024 Jul 19.
The United States criminal legal system has a long-standing and well-documented history of perpetuating racial disparities in health and well-being through inequitable policing, sentencing, and incarceration practices. In the last decade, the criminal legal system has re-considered their response to women arrested for solicitation via sex trafficking specialty courts.
The current study leverages publicly available data from one large Midwestern county to explore the presence of racial disparities within women's referral to, election to participate in, and success within one specialty court program for women in the sex trade.
Between 1990 and 2022, approximately 27,790 women were arrested or cited for solicitation (about 2.5 per day). Among them, 67.0% were White, 31.4% were Black, 0.9% reported another racial identity; and 0.7% had racial identity missing from their record; which aligns with county demographics. Rates of referral to sex trafficking specialty court programs were similar for White and Black women arrested for solicitation (11.6% vs 13.1%, = 0.28). However, racial disparities were observed within rates of women who elected to participate in these programs (83.1% - White; 56.9% - Black, 0.001). Although not statistically significant within the small sample of program graduates, White women who participated in the program were more likely to graduate compared to their Black peers (20% vs 9.1%; = 0.07).
Much greater attention is needed to establish equitable practices and access within this unique branch of specialty court programming. Specifically, these programs should seek to cultivate better reputations as trusted providers among Black women in the sex trade.
美国刑事法律体系长期以来有着通过不公平的警务、量刑和监禁做法，使健康和福祉方面的种族差异长期存在且有充分记录的历史。在过去十年中，刑事法律体系重新审视了其对通过性交易特别法庭因拉客被捕的女性的应对措施。
当前研究利用来自中西部一个大县的公开数据，探讨在将女性转介至、选举参与以及在一个针对性交易女性的特别法庭项目中取得成功方面存在的种族差异。
1990年至2022年期间，约27,790名女性因拉客被捕或被传唤（约每天2.5人）。其中，67.0%为白人，31.4%为黑人，0.9%报告为其他种族身份；0.7%的记录中种族身份缺失；这与该县人口统计数据相符。因拉客被捕的白人和黑人女性被转介至性交易特别法庭项目的比例相似（11.6%对13.1%，P = 0.28）。然而，在选择参与这些项目的女性比例方面存在种族差异（白人83.1%；黑人56.9%，P < 0.001）。尽管在项目毕业生的小样本中无统计学显著差异，但参与该项目的白人女性比黑人同龄人更有可能毕业（20%对9..1%；P = 0.07）。
在特别法庭程序的这个独特分支中，需要更加关注建立公平的做法和机会。具体而言，这些项目应努力在性交易中的黑人女性中树立更值得信赖的提供者的良好声誉。
