Atlanta has long been a hub of child prostitution. Yesterday it was featured in a NY Times editorial on prostitution and prevention:
State lawmakers will be tempted to ratchet up penalties for the crime of child prostitution and declare the problem solved. But Georgia already has very tough laws in this area. Like the rest of the states, it needs to significantly expand treatment programs for sexually exploited children. And even more important, it needs to broaden community-based prevention programs that spot and help troubled children before they end up selling their bodies on the streets.
A report earlier this year by the Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic at Emory University estimated that hundreds of children were being used as prostitutes throughout Georgia. They come from troubled families and often have histories of truancy. They typically run away from home after being sexually abused. […]
The men who drive the sex trade by patronizing prostitutes rarely figure into discussions of the problem. Shirley Franklin, the mayor of Atlanta, has changed that through advertisements underscoring the damage that these men do to their communities.
The city is also considering legislation under which first-time offenders on adult prostitution charges will be required to attend classes where they would learn about the broader social harm associated with their activities. Restitution and community service may be required.
Georgia’s state budget shortfall and the cuts called for by the governor make funding for such initiatives difficult.
In an editorial today, the NY Times argues that the decision about where a sex offender should live properly resides with law enforcement agencies
A disturbing new development is the proliferation of local ordinances that go beyond the reporting requirements of legislation like Megan’s Law by restricting where sex offenders may live. In some New Jersey towns, offenders cannot live within 2,500 feet of a school or playground. Often, the banned areas are so large as to effectively prohibit a sex offender from living anywhere in town.
The law in Georgia prohibits offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a church, school, bus stop, or recreation center! The problem extends beyond Atlanta. Last week ABC reported on a massage parlor sting in Macon, GA that counted 17-year-olds among those arrested.
RELATED: A case was brought before the Georgia Supreme Court arguing that the recent Kennedy decision suggests that imposing a mandatory life sentence on a sex offender for failing to register should be unconstitutional.