Social and Structural Factors Shaping High Rates of Incarceration among Sex Workers in a Canadian Setting

Abstract

In light of the emphasis on enforcement-based approaches towards sex work, and the well-known negative impacts of these approaches on women's health, safety and well-being, we conducted a study to investigate the prevalence and correlates of recent incarceration among a cohort of women sex workers in Vancouver, Canada. Data were obtained from an open prospective community cohort of female and transgender women sex workers, known as An Evaluation of Sex Workers' Health Access (AESHA). Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses, using generalized estimating equations (GEE), were used to model the effect of social and structural factors on the likelihood of incarceration over the 44-month follow-up period (January 2010-August 2013). Among 720 sex workers, 62.5 % (n = 450) reported being incarcerated in their lifetime and 23.9 % (n = 172) being incarcerated at least once during the study period. Of the 172 participants, about one third (36.6 %) reported multiple episodes of incarceration. In multivariable GEE analyses, younger age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.04 per year younger, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.06), being of a sexual/gender minority (AOR = 1.62, 95 % CI 1.13-2.34), heavy drinking (AOR = 1.99, 95 % CI 1.20-3.29), being born in Canada (AOR = 3.28, 95 % CI 1.26-8.53), living in unstable housing conditions (AOR = 4.32, 95 % CI 2.17-8.62), servicing clients in public spaces (versus formal sex work establishments) (AOR = 2.33, 95 % CI 1.05-5.17) and experiencing police harassment without arrest (AOR = 1.82, 95 % CI 1.35-2.45) remain independently correlated with incarceration. This prospective study found a very high prevalence and frequency of incarceration among women sex workers in Vancouver, Canada, with the most vulnerable and marginalized women at increased risk of incarceration. Given the well-known social and health harms associated with incarceration, and associations between police harassment and incarceration in this study, our findings further add to growing calls to move away from criminalized and enforcement-based approaches to sex work in Canada and globally.

Food Insecurity Increases HIV Risk Among Young Sex Workers in Metro Vancouver, Canada

“…This approach has been used in previous studies [29] to take into account repeated measures on the same individuals using longitudinal data and increase effective sample size. As in previous similar studies [30, 31], we considered variables that were statistically significant at p < 0.10 in the bivariate analyses as candidates for inclusion as potential confounders in the multivariable models, in addition to one a priori confounder (gender/sexual minority). For the multivariable models, we fitted a confounder model using logistic regression for the outcome using the methods of Maldonado and Greenland [32].…”

“So It’s Not Always the Sappy Story”: Women of Colour and Indigenous Women in the Indoor Sectors of the Canadian Sex Industry Speak Out

“…While these advocates also invoke stories of victimhood and represent some sex workers as being at risk of experiencing violence, including through trafficking and other forms of exploitation (Childs et al, 2006;Cler-Cunningham & Christensen, 2001), the conclusions they draw are notably different. Members of this camp argue that an increased risk of violence is the result of increased isolation, social marginalisation, racism, sexism, and other systemic factors that are prevalent in the Canadian Criminal Justice system (O'Doherty, 2011a; Shannon et al, 2008;Socias et al, 2015). These advocates further argue that the way Indigenous and racialised people as a whole are over-policed and under-protected contribute to the violence some sex workers experience in the sex industry (Amnesty, 2016;Anderson et al, 2015;Goldenberg, Liu, Nguyen, Chettiar, & Shannon, 2015;Lam, 2016).…”

“…The relationship between law enforcement and sex work is complex and dynamic (Anderson et al, 2015;Bruckert & Chabot, 2010;Socias et al, 2015). The two have been described as inseparable and engendered (Dewey & Kelly, 2011) and as arbitrary and abusive (Almodovar, 2010;Bruckert & Chabot, 2010;Saunders & Kirby, 2010.…”

“…The prevalence of police officers' abuse of power through unusually harsh and punitive behaviours towards sex workers are welldocumented (Almodovar, 2010;Armstrong, 2016;Hubbard & Sanders, 2003;Rhodes, Simic, Baros, Platt, & Zikic, 2008;Saunders & Kirby, 2010Williamson et al, 2007). Socias et al (2015) argue that sex workers in public spaces are at increased risk of confrontation with law enforcement officers. Almodovar (2010) and Rhodes et al (2008) note that police perpetrators find sex workers easy targets for the same reason serial killers do, and sex workers being raped or extorted for sexual favours by police officers happens far too often (Almodovar, 2010).…”

“…Drawing attention to research participants' time working on the street highlights the multiplicity and fluidity of women's experiences within the sex industry (see also discussion in Chapter 5). Furthermore, the encounters these street-based workers have had with police officers who abuse their power illuminate how law enforcement perpetuates the idea of street-based sex workers as social and economic outcasts and as public nuisance/annoyance, thus justifying the arbitrary and discriminatory law enforcement practices they face (see Bruckert & Chabot, 2010;Lowman, 2000;Socias et al, 2015). The few women in this study who fall into this category report that they have not had the opportunity to tell their stories of over-policing and abuses of power before.…”