Nevada’s Legal Prostitution: Liberty or Slavery?

5 p.m. PST on April 27,2016

RENO-It is common knowledge Nevada is the only state in the nation that allows for legal prostitution. However instead of enabling liberty, these laws often enable slavery.

Sex trafficking, a modern form of slavery where women and children are bought and sold for commercial sex acts by the force of violence, threats, lies, and other coercion, is a big concern for Nevada, and Reno is no exception.

According to the Reno Gazette Journal, an increasing number of women who walk Reno’s famous Fourth Street are looking for costumers, and girls as young as 11 are being exploited. The girls are often branded or tattooed with an identification number or the name of their owner, also referred to as a “pimp” or “john”.

The city’s strips of hotels, casinos, and brothels nearby make for an easy gateway to carry out the exploitation.

Awaken Reno, the only group in the city working to combat the problem, explains that legal prostitution means that the state of Nevada legally permits the buying and selling of women into prostitution, and even enables the pimp to collect taxes, being welcomed as a legitimate customer.

Melissa Holland, the founder of Awaken Reno, says she started the nonprofit Christian organization when she realized how serious of a problem it was in her home state. According to Las Vegas Congo Justice Statistics, in Las Vegas alone over 2,654 minors had been recovered from sex trafficking in the last decade and 467 adult victims in the last five years, 216 of which had been victims of the last two years, showing an increase in violation. It is also reported that 94 percent of victims rescued are minors, the average victim being only 13 years old.

Holland had originally planned to go overseas, providing therapy to women in Cambodia who had been rescued from the industry. However, when she researched similar therapy programs in Reno with hopes of getting in some practice, she soon found that there were no organizations helping women out of prostitution. Shockingly the only organization available helped women into prostitution. It was then she realized it was God’s plan for her to stay in Reno and help address this serious problem.

Awaken Reno believes legal brothels in Nevada, or prisons as many refer to them as, need to be shut down and instead should offer women, men, and children in the industry real choices such as stable housing, social services, medical treatment, and job training.

“That’s what they should receive- not more restrictive coercion in the legal brothels which many women describe as “little prisons”.” Says Awaken Reno, and according to their research over 81 percent of women want to escape.

Sandra Marr, New York Times journalist, was part of the sex industry for ten years and ran across many women who had experienced Nevada’s legal brothels. They described the environment to be rimmed with high security fences and an electric gate, looking similar to that of a detention camp. Living and working in small and crammed lockdown conditions 24 hours a day, the women are unable to leave unless they are accompanied by a male pimp. According to Marr many of the women had a history of trauma and abuse when they entered the industry. She was homeless and suffered multiple sclerosis, knowing firsthand how vulnerability makes women even more victimized by pimps.

“Pimps don’t stop being pimps when you legalize what they do.” Said Marr, referring to Nevada’s legal prostitution laws. “If we legalize brothels we’ll only be giving these predators more power, while we help them protect their cash.”

Unfortunately, once in the industry getting out can be very difficult. Offenders often abuse or threaten the girls if they if they attempt to leave. Some of this abuse is physical, or can include placing a gun to the girl’s head or attempting to murder their families.

Many times the pimps are able to form unhealthy bonds with the women and young girls, manipulating them into believing they are loved and cared for. The girls yearn for a loving family, something they have never known.

“Young girls are usually second or third generation prostitutes, or are sold by family members into the industry,” Holland said. “It is also common for girls in homes with abuse, physically or sexually, to run away and have the liability of being picked up by a pimp in 48 hours.”

Awaken Reno believes that raising awareness and providing its citizens with proper education on this legal slavery is crucial if the city and state wants to see any improvement. They hope to warn young women about how dangerous these offenders really are and give them the knowledge they need to avoid being a victim.

As of date Awaken Reno has helped 257 girls in the Reno area providing counseling, financial and medical aid, transportation, victim/survivor advocacy, and housing. The group has reached 1,877 people in a variety of different outreaches, including both street and brothel outreaches.

Despite the group’s effort, if the women don’t believe that they can be helped or have their lives changed, the organization won’t do them much good. Holland relates the scenario to a person who is born without arms and having someone tell them to just reach out and grab a rope.

“That’s how they feel.” She said. “They don’t believe it’s a tangible and realistic choice. They have to believe they can realistically have a different life.”

Getting the women to trust the organization and build a relationship with them can be difficult and takes time. Once they are able to successfully create a bond of trust, this is when Holland feels the women can move towards finding a happy and successful future.

Awaken Reno has worked closely with the Nevada Attorney General’s office, and helped successfully pass a victim’s centered bill. Assembly Bill 67 took effect July 1, 2013 and establishes the crime of sex trafficking of children and adults.

However, human trafficking is still a crime that is difficult to identify and track. According to Nevada Attorney General, Alex Laxalt, everyone can find a way to help fight human trafficking here in the Silver State and look for warning signs. For more information, visit http://ag.nv.gov/Human_Trafficking or awakenreno.org.