By Arthur Weinreb
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Schools for "johns" came into being about 10 years ago with great fanfare. Men who were charged with communicating for the purpose of obtaining the sexual services of a prostitute were, in certain cases, diverted from the criminal justice system. Those who admitted the offence and who had no previous criminal record were allowed to attend a john school for a day (current cost, $500). Upon graduation, the criminal charge against them was withdrawn by the Crown.
Men who attended john school spent the day in their fancy re-education camp listening to lectures. Police and Crown Attorneys tell them that what they were caught doing was against the law as if anyone there with an IQ in at least double digits hadn't already figured out the illegality of their activities. Health workers are brought in to warn the men of the dangers of HIV/AIDS and other STDs without fully explaining how these diseases can be transmitted by the exchange of money. Finally, the men would be lectured to by former prostitutes who would tell the johns about how they were further victimizing the poor disadvantaged "sex trade workers" who were forced by circumstances, beyond their control of course, to ply their trade on the streets of the city.
The creation of john schools was welcomed by just about everyone with the exception of groups of sex workers who are fighting to legalize their profession. These activists object to sex workers being classified as victims, rather than willing workers whose line of work should be legitimized.
John schools are the type of "feel good" program that has become so popular in recent years. And as long as those who pushed for and ran the program felt good, there was no need to stop and think whether or not a john school was necessary or even somewhat productive.
Now a recent study by a group of Seattle WA researchers, published in the journal PloS ONE, revealed what everyone who is involved in the criminal justice system already knows. The whole concept of a john school is nothing but a crock.
Unlike drug dealers or those who commit break and enters, men who frequent prostitutes on the streets are usually otherwise law abiding and do not live a criminal lifestyle. Simply getting caught is the necessary deterrent in most cases. They don't need to go to a re-education camp. According to the study, 70 per cent of those who are arrested do not re-offend and for that reason the researchers question the need for john schools.
There are undoubtedly some men who solicit prostitutes because they honestly don't know that their activity is illegal and constitutes a criminal offence. Others convince themselves that they are smart enough to tell the difference between a prostitute and a police officer posing as one. Either way, these notions are quickly dispelled as soon as the conversation ends, the back-up officers appear and the badges come out.
Unlike other offences that are commonly committed by otherwise law abiding people (such as drinking and driving), there are at least perceived consequences to being found engaging in this type of activity that go beyond those that flow from the criminal justice system. Fear that their spouses, girlfriends and children will find out about their activities in cruising the seedier parts of the city seeking out quick, cheap sex is enough to deter most men. This and the humiliation of being arrested for what they have been arrested for is enough of a deterrence to make john schools a waste of time for all those except the people who run them.
The U.S. study indicates that only about 18 per cent of those men who seek the services of prostitutes are ever charged. The study goes on to argue that resources that are now being spent on such things as john schools would be better spent allocated to enforcement of the laws.
The purpose of john schools are to make those who organize and run them feel good; to make them think that they are solving a serious societal problem. Whether or not john schools actually accomplish anything or are necessary is and never was a consideration.
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