About 70% of them have children, 89% of whom are without custody. Most street prostitutes are children of dysfunctional parents or homes. In these homes, they experience violence, drugs and sexual assault. Their childhood was tumultuous and unstable with parents either absent, in jail or deceased. More then 40% of them are compelled to enter the trade to fund their drug habit. Other reasons are influence and the need for money. The psychiatric unit of the Los Angeles County jail is now considered the largest local mental health facility (Beyond 2000 Committee). Part II: Recommendations and Solutions

The Legalization Option

National surveys showed that 94% of American citizens perceived the police as not promptly responding to calls for help (Bovard, 1998). One reason was their endless pursuit of prostitutes. Prostitution has remained illegal in most of the United States. The implementation of laws against it drains the country's law enforcement agencies and their resources. As a consequence, public health suffers through the spread of HIV, AIDS

and other sexually transmitted diseases. The legalization of prostitution is viewed as among the easiest means to curb the spread of these diseases and of improving law enforcement. Sexual frustration and availability of money will continue to drive some people to pay for sex. The issue is no longer the morality of prostitution but if its suppression will make society a safer place. The choice is between pursuing criminals and cracking down on prostitutes. Prostitution may be immoral, but the police need not waste time uselessly in suppressing it (Bovard).

Recommendations and Solutions

Human rights advocates must be concerned with the social invisibility of prostitution, persistent denials of the harms it brings, its normalization or legalization as a "necessary" social evil and the failure to educate students about the matters (Failey, 2004). It thrives largely on continued public, professional and academic indifference (Failey).

Other recommendations to contain prostitution and violence against women, particularly in Los Angeles, included a re-evaluation of California's reformed welfare policies to assess how well the needs of families are within the context of the prevention of prostitution and violence against women (California Department of Health Services, 2004). These needs would include housing, sufficient child support,...

Legislation, based on principles of the Convention of the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, should be promptly introduced and passed. Government policies, practices and programs should be examined to insure support for the prevention of prostitution and violence against women. The formal adoption and implementation of the principles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women are basic to the fight against prostitution and other forms of violence against women. Legislation for its implementation would be essential in effectively examining, identifying and facilitating changes in policy. These changes would hold institutions accountable for reducing the level of these social ill and assuring safety and justice for women and girls (California Department of Health Services). #
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bayswan (2010). Prostitution in the United States -- the Statistics. Prostitutes Education

Network: Bayswan.org. Retrieved on March 10, 2010 from http://www.bayswan.org/stats.html

Beyond 2000 Committee (2004). Prostitution: an overview. Mary Magdalene Project:

The Mary Magdalene Project. Retrieved on March 11, 2010 from http://www.mmp.org/background/research.php

Bovard, J. (1958). The legalization of prostitution. Freedom Daily: the Future of Freedom Foundation. Retrieved on March 10, 2010 from http://www.fff.org/freedom/0998d.asp

California Department of Health Services (2004). California statewide policy recommendations for the prevention of violence against women. Epidemiology and Prevention of Injury Control Branch. Retrieved on March 10, 2010 from http://old.preventioninstitute.org/documents/statewidePolicyRecommendationsforthePreventionofVAWFINAL.pdf

Failey, M. (2004). Prostitution is sexual violence. Vol 21 # 12 Psychiatric Times: UBM

Media. Retrieved on March 10, 2010 from http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/articles/10168/48311?pageNumber=28verify=0

ISU (2005). Prostitution and the trafficking of women. Iowa State University of Science

and Technology: Iowa State University. Retrieved on March 10, 2010 from http://www.public.iastate.edu/~womenstu/ws20istudent/prostitution/homepage.html

Lauer, R.H. And Lauer, J.C. (2008). "Problems of Behavioral Deviance." Social problems and the quality of life. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.