Does Criminalizing Consumers of Prostitution Work?

For the past decade, the U.S. government has devoted a great deal of attention and resources to combating human trafficking, particularly in the sex sector. Now, policymakers are taking a new look at campaigns to end the demand for sexual services as a way to curtail trafficking. But are such approaches successful?

The Open Society Foundations and the Women and Law Program at the American University Washington College of Law recently hosted an expert panel discussion to explore the available evidence. Are prohibition policies on sex work effective, and what is the impact on marginalized populations?