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Sociology

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Rhode Island

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Bibliography Of Sources On Prostitution Decriminalization In Rhode Island, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq Feb 2017

Bibliography Of Sources On Prostitution Decriminalization In Rhode Island, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq

Donna M. Hughes

A bibliography of sources on the research we did on prostitution and sex trafficking and the advocacy work we did to end decriminalized prostitution. For 29 years prostitution was decriminalized in Rhode Island (if it occurred indoors). Sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls were integrated into economic development. The number of sex businesses grew rapidly and organized crime groups operated brothels and extorted money from adult entertainment businesses. Rhode Island became a destination for pimps, sex traffickers, and other violent criminals. The lack of laws impeded police from investigating serious crimes, including sex trafficking

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Decriminalized Prostitution: Impunity For Violence And Exploitation, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Dec 2016

Decriminalized Prostitution: Impunity For Violence And Exploitation, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

This paper is a case study of decriminalized prostitution. For 29 years (1980 to 2009) prostitution was decriminalized in Rhode Island. Lack of laws or regulations created a permissive legal, economic and cultural environment for the growth of sex businesses. During this time, sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls were integrated into the economic development of urban areas. The number of sex businesses grew rapidly during this time period. Organized crime groups operated brothels and extorted money from adult entertainment businesses. Rhode Island became a destination for pimps, traffickers, and other violent criminals. The lack of laws impeded …

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Ri Should Target Sex Buyers, Donna M. Hughes Dr. May 2016

Ri Should Target Sex Buyers, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Men who buy sex----and they are only a small minority of men---are responsible for the crime of sex trafficking continuing to thrive. When sex traffickers find victims and coerce them into prostitution, they are serving the sex buyers, who pay them well for finding and marketing the victims to them.

For years, analysts have studied sex trafficking to determine the best way to combat this modern form of slavery. Today, a consensus is forming among advocates and law enforcement that to combat sex trafficking, the focus has to be on men who buy sex as much as on the pimps …

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Analysis Of Cases Of Human Trafficking In Rhode Island, 2009-2013, Faith Skodmin, Rachel Dunham, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Mar 2016

Analysis Of Cases Of Human Trafficking In Rhode Island, 2009-2013, Faith Skodmin, Rachel Dunham, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

This article is an analysis of law enforcement identified cases of human trafficking in Rhode Island from 2009 to 2013. Information was collected from police and court records, prosecutors’ press releases, and reports in the media. During this period, there was one case of forced labor of a domestic worker and six cases of domestic sex trafficking. Many of the characteristics of the Rhode Island cases were consistent with other human trafficking cases in the United States. Discussions of key findings include (a) outcomes of a criminal case using a new human trafficking statute on fraud in foreign contracting and …

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Challenges For Investigating Sex Trafficking: The Role Of Decriminalized Prostitution, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq Oct 2015

Challenges For Investigating Sex Trafficking: The Role Of Decriminalized Prostitution, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq

Donna M. Hughes

This presentation is a case study of challenges to investigating sex trafficking created by decriminalized prostitution. For 29 years (from 1980 to 2009) in Rhode Island, engaging in prostitution was not prohibited or regulated. Commercial sex acts were private and beyond the interest of the state. Lack of laws or regulations of prostitution created a permissive legal, economic, and cultural environment for the growth of prostitution businesses. Local police were impeded from investigating alleged sex trafficking because police had no legal cause to investigate private activities. In interviews, law enforcement officials repeatedly stated that they did not have the laws …

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Decriminalized Prostitution In Rhode Island: Impunity For Violence And Exploitation, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq Dec 2014

Decriminalized Prostitution In Rhode Island: Impunity For Violence And Exploitation, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq

Donna M. Hughes

For 29 years (1980 to 2009) prostitution was decriminalized in Rhode Island. Lack of laws or regulations created a permissive legal, economic and cultural environment for the growth of sex businesses. During this time, sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls were integrated into the economic development of urban areas. The number of sex businesses grew rapidly during this period. Organized crime groups operated brothels and extorted money from adult entertainment businesses. Rhode Island became a destination for pimps, traffickers, and other violent criminals. The lack of laws impeded police from investigating serious crimes.

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The Persistence Of Slavery In Rhode Island: Human Trafficking In The Ocean State (Abtract, Peer-Reviewed), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Lucy Tillman, Faith Skodmin, Jessica Wainfor Oct 2014

The Persistence Of Slavery In Rhode Island: Human Trafficking In The Ocean State (Abtract, Peer-Reviewed), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Lucy Tillman, Faith Skodmin, Jessica Wainfor

Donna M. Hughes

This panel will discuss the persistence of slavery in the form of human trafficking in Rhode Island. To address modern-day slavery-like practices, the U.S. passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000 and Rhode Island passed the Trafficking of Persons and Involuntary Servitude Act in 2009. Both state and federal anti-human trafficking laws identify two types of human trafficking: forced labor and sex trafficking.

This panel will present the findings of original research done by the five authors during the Spring 2014 on human trafficking cases in Rhode Island from 2009-2013. Sources for analysis of these cases include: police reports, …

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Presentation, The Persistence Of Slavery In Rhode Island: Human Trafficking In The Ocean State, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Lucy Tillman Oct 2014

Presentation, The Persistence Of Slavery In Rhode Island: Human Trafficking In The Ocean State, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Lucy Tillman

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.

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Analysis Of Human Trafficking Cases In Rhode Island, 2009-2013 (Abstract, Peer Reviewed), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Faith Skodmin, Lucy Tillman, Jessica Wainfor Oct 2014

Analysis Of Human Trafficking Cases In Rhode Island, 2009-2013 (Abstract, Peer Reviewed), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Rachel Dunham, Faith Skodmin, Lucy Tillman, Jessica Wainfor

Donna M. Hughes

Present an analysis of seven state and federal cases of human trafficking, including forced labor and sex trafficking, in Rhode Island from 2009 until 2013. In 2009, Rhode Island passed a comprehensive human trafficking law. Since then there have been six cases of sex trafficking and one case of forced labor. Sources for information on the human trafficking cases were police reports, witness statements, court documents and media reports. This presentation will briefly summarize the cases and discuss the similarities and difference among the cases and discuss of some key findings from these cases, which include:

1) Victims were trafficked …

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Presentation, Analysis Of Human Trafficking Cases In Rhode Island, 2009-2013 (Powerpoint), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Faith Skodmin, Rachel Dunham Oct 2014

Presentation, Analysis Of Human Trafficking Cases In Rhode Island, 2009-2013 (Powerpoint), Donna M. Hughes Dr., Faith Skodmin, Rachel Dunham

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.

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Flawed Analysis Of Prostitution In Rhode Island, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Margaret Brooks Jul 2014

Flawed Analysis Of Prostitution In Rhode Island, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Margaret Brooks

Donna M. Hughes

Did decriminalized prostitution in Rhode Island lead to an expansion of the sex industry and to significant decreases in rape and gonorrhea?

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Holding Rhode Island Strip Club Owners Accountable, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Mar 2014

Holding Rhode Island Strip Club Owners Accountable, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

For almost 30 years (1980-2009) there were no laws against indoor prostitution in Rhode Island. During that time, being an owner of a strip club where prostitution occurred in the private booths or being a landlord for a massage parlor that was really a brothel were shady, but legal, ways to make money. During the same time, there was no comprehensive law against human trafficking and there was no law banning underage girls from stripping in the clubs.

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Watching Justice Come Alive, Daniel Weiss, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Apr 2010

Watching Justice Come Alive, Daniel Weiss, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

With the nation watching, a college student, a professor and a legislator team up to top indoor prostitution in Rhode Island

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Federal Hill Protest Targets Landlords, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq Mar 2010

Federal Hill Protest Targets Landlords, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Melanie Shapiro Esq

Donna M. Hughes

Landlords who rent space to spa-brothels were the target of a protest on Atwells Avenue on Federal Hill in Providence on the evening of March 28th. About two dozen neighbors, friends, and anti-trafficking activists gathered to condemn landlords who rent to spa-brothels.

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Men Still Visiting Brothels, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Mar 2010

Men Still Visiting Brothels, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Wednesday night, I gave a talk at Brown University, as part of the Human Trafficking Awareness Week. After the talk, I stopped for a coffee on Atwells Avenue on the way home. One Spa, an illegal spa-brothel, is next door to the coffee shop and just above the office of the Federal Hill Gazette. From the time I got out of my car and returned with my coffee, I saw three men go into the brothel—one white man in his late thirties dressed in carpenter pants, a flannel shirt, and baseball cap, one older balding white man with glasses, …

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The Citizens Were Heard, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Oct 2009

The Citizens Were Heard, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Congratulations to the citizens of Rhode Island and national anti-trafficking advocates for the legislative victory in Rhode Island. This past week, the Rhode Island Assembly passed an unprecedented pieces of legislation that will protect victims from sex industry predators and give law enforcement the tools they need to arrest pimps, traffickers, and “johns.” 

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Victory In Rhode Island, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Michael Horowitz Oct 2009

Victory In Rhode Island, Donna M. Hughes Dr., Michael Horowitz

Donna M. Hughes

In stunning culmination of a David-Goliath struggle that, at least until lately, few believed the David side had the slightest chance of winning, the Rhode Island legislature enacted three major anti-trafficking bills last night that the Governor will soon sign into law. 

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Testimony On Prostitution Bill, Senate Judiciary Committee, Oct 2009, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Oct 2009

Testimony On Prostitution Bill, Senate Judiciary Committee, Oct 2009, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

I am here to support a bill that will give Rhode Island the prostitution law it needs to combat the growing sex industry and sex trafficking. 

Many letters and reports have been written describing the problems that decriminalized prostitution has created for Rhode Island. We know that women from foreign countries are here in the spa-brothels. We know that U.S teens are trafficked here from other states. We know there is much evidence of sex trafficking in the Asian spa-brothels and strip clubs. 

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Testimony For Trafficking Bill, Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee, Oct 2009, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Oct 2009

Testimony For Trafficking Bill, Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee, Oct 2009, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

I am here to support a trafficking bill that will do two things: 
1) Criminalize forced labor as a form of human trafficking. 
2) Make it easier to prosecute sex trafficking of minors by removing the requirement to prove force, fraud, or coercion. 

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Prostitution Destroys Families, Anonymous In Providence, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Sep 2009

Prostitution Destroys Families, Anonymous In Providence, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

The bill against indoor prostitution should be passed. [Prostitution] destroys many families. What happens when a wife catches her husband going to spa or strip clubs? Divorce usually, and then the children involved go to counseling and so does the wife. Medical costs rise, not including STD’s the men catch from these women. To worry about what jobs they’ll get if they can’t do sex acts, well dancing for men is one thing, having sex with them is [another]. If [prostitution] is no longer allowed, the club owners should pay the fines if they cannot control what happens in their clubs. 

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Senate Prostitution Bill Weakens Law, Jim Meyen, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Sep 2009

Senate Prostitution Bill Weakens Law, Jim Meyen, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.

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Behavior And Attitudes Of Johns, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Sep 2009

Behavior And Attitudes Of Johns, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

No abstract provided.

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Levesque Misrepresents View Of Laura Lederer, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Sep 2009

Levesque Misrepresents View Of Laura Lederer, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Last week (September 4, 2009), Senator Charles Levesque (D-Portsmouth and Bristol) sent an email that misrepresented the view of Laura Lederer on the need for a prostitution law in Rhode Island. His email is reproduced in full below. Senator Levesque’s letter was printed in the Providence Journal (September 9, 2009) under the title “Anti-prostitution law means more deaths.” 

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Senators' Prostitution Bill Is A Sham, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Sep 2009

Senators' Prostitution Bill Is A Sham, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

RHODE ISLAND needs a good prostitution law to halt the metastasizing problems of prostitution and sex trafficking. The growing number of spas and clubs are sordid destinations for foreign women and teens from around the Northeast. To address this problem, both the House and the Senate have passed bills they claim “close the loophole.” But the competing bills are profoundly different in their probable effectiveness. 

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Speak Your Voice On Prostitution Bill, Donna L. Landry, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Aug 2009

Speak Your Voice On Prostitution Bill, Donna L. Landry, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Now is the time to speak your voice and urge your Senator to pass the House bill H5044A. Now is the time to close the loophole of indoor prostitution in Rhode Island. Negotiations are ongoing, so please write letters to your senator and circulate petitions now. 

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Top Us Official On Trafficking Says Lack Of Prostitution Law Creates A "Zone Of Impunity" For Traffickers, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Aug 2009

Top Us Official On Trafficking Says Lack Of Prostitution Law Creates A "Zone Of Impunity" For Traffickers, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

The lack of a law against indoor prostitution can create a “zone of impunity in which police can’t go, and where traffickers can exploit their prey,” according to Luis CdeBaca, Ambassador at Large to Combat Human Trafficking and Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons in the U.S. State Department.

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Sex Radicals Target Rhode Island, Margaret Brooks, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Aug 2009

Sex Radicals Target Rhode Island, Margaret Brooks, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Citizens Against Trafficking responds to the letter from 50 academics who support the status quo of decriminalized prostitution (indoors) in Rhode Island.On July 31, 2009, a letter co‐authored by Ronald Weitzer and Elizabeth Anne Wood and signed by 48 other “members of the academic community” was sent to the Rhode Island General
Assembly opposing any bill banning prostitution indoors.

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Evicted Brothel Relocates, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Aug 2009

Evicted Brothel Relocates, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

As it has become apparent that Rhode Island will pass a law prohibiting prostitution, property owner Joseph Paolino moved to evict a spa-brothel in his building. The Bali Day Spa has relocated to a sister spa-brothel at Smithfield Avenue.

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Updates From Middletown, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Aug 2009

Updates From Middletown, Melanie Shapiro Esq, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Asian spa-brothel closes; Middletown Council passes anti-prostitution resolution

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Rhode Island Left Out Of Fbi Initiative, Donna M. Hughes Dr. Aug 2009

Rhode Island Left Out Of Fbi Initiative, Donna M. Hughes Dr.

Donna M. Hughes

Rhode Island has been excluded from federal law enforcement investigations of sex trafficking of children because there is no law against prostitution.

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