Category: Campaigns

BREAKING NEWS From Arizona

November 27th, 2014 · · Campaigns, Press Release No comments - Tags: , ,

Project ROSE stings end in Phoenix, AZ, Monica Jones responds

As you may you know I was arrested under an anti-prostitution sting, by the name of Project ROSE. This program used police and prosecutors to round up sex workers, and people profiled as sex workers, forcing them into diversion programs using coercion. The head of this program is Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, a social work professor at Arizona State University School of Social Work in Phoenix, Arizona.

Using coercive tactics such as those central to Project ROSE contradicts everything social work stands for. Social workers are supposed to defend social justice and free will. Using police to round up sex workers robs them of their self-determination and dignity and thus goes against the code of ethics of social work.

As of today, I have been advised that no more Project ROSE events are planned, and Project ROSE will not be conducting any more police stings, hopefully permanently.  This is a milestone in the community’s struggle to end the injustice of Project ROSE and rights violating policing of this kind. We still have further to go. The next milestones to reach are getting the “manifestation statute” off the books and getting my conviction overturned.

Thanks to the ACLU, SWOP-Phoenix and Best Practices Policy Project for their work for social justice and all my other supporters in Arizona and beyond.

Monica Jones, November 26, 2014

Stand with Monica Jones: November 24, 2014

November 21st, 2014 · · Campaigns No comments - Tags: , ,

Monica-Jones-FB-profile-picOn Monday November 24th, Monica Jones and her defense will present the oral argument for her the next step in her appeal process.

During the Project ROSE stings in May 2013, after speaking out against the ASU School of Social work led diversion program that criminalizes sex workers, Monica was targeted and arbitrarily arrested under a vague anti-prostitution “manifestation” statute. Monica, with the support of her defense team and support teams, including the ACLU of Arizona, the national ACLU LGBT Project and SWOP Phoenix, continues to stand up for her rights in court.

The Best Practices Policy Project is encouraging advocates to join with us in support of Monica Jones and her fight for human rights. Monica shared with BPPP by telephone today that people in Phoenix are able to attend the court date in person and those outside of the city should seek out information about her case on social media. “Use the hashtag #standwithMonica,” she said, “This law is unconstitutional and places a heavy burden on minorities. I was wrongfully convicted and my conviction should be overturned.” Monica also explained to the Best Practices Policy Project that we should not expect any definitive statement on her case on Monday. “The oral arguments provide a chance to explain the key issues in the appeal,” she explained, “but the process is ongoing.”

 

We Want Our Voices Heard! Seeking information for the National UPR Report to the U.N.

August 14th, 2014 · · Campaigns, News Archive, Press Release No comments - Tags: ,
SWOP-NYC & SWANK action to "86 the violence"

SWOP-NYC and SWANK public action in NYC in support of UPR Recommendation 86 in 2011

The Best Practices Policy Project (BPPP), Desiree Alliance, and SWOP NYC are calling on sex workers rights advocates and allies to join us in reporting the human rights abuses experienced by sex workers, people in the sex trades, people profiled as sex workers or impacted by anti-sex work policing and policies, and related communities. The U.S. will soon be reviewed by the United Nations (U.N.) Human Rights Council on its human rights record in a process referred to as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). We are submitting a report to the U.N. and the U.N. needs to hear from you. Through this process, we create awareness before the international community, media outlets, other government officials, U.N. Human Rights Council members, and other stakeholders on the pressing issues facing the community.  This is an important tool for pressuring the government to make changes.

Continue reading »

Partial victory in NYC as police chief limits use of condoms as evidence

May 13th, 2014 · · Campaigns, Policy Updates No comments

Sex workers and allies in New York advocating for human rights had a significant victory today as the Police Commissioner announced a partial elimination of the use of condoms as evidence of prostitution or related activities. Read the statement from the Access to Condoms Coalition here:

The policy announced by Commissioner Bratton today barring confiscation of condoms as arrest evidence in prostitution, prostitution in a school zone, and loitering for the purposes of prostitution cases represents a welcome and important step in the direction of protecting the public health and reproductive rights of New Yorkers. Unfortunately, it does not go far enough, and creates a loophole big enough to drive a truck through:  police can still continue to use the possession of condoms to justify an arrest, confiscate condoms from sex workers and survivors as “investigatory evidence” where promoting or trafficking is suspected, and confiscate condoms as evidence in promoting and trafficking cases.

Continue reading »