PROVIDENCE — The state police and Rep. Joanne Giannini, D- Providence, say they are one step closer to giving authorities the "tools" to end human trafficking in Rhode Island.
Rep. Giannini's bill to criminalize indoor prostitution passed on May 13 with little debate on the House floor. Bill 5044A was delivered to the Senate in a 63 to 9 vote.
"This is a dubious distinction that Rhode Island should not have. Prostitution is already illegal outdoors and what we're doing is applying the same penalty to indoor prostitution. We are adding a procurement clause where a person seeking the prostitute also be included in the prosecution," said Giannini. "We have set up a section of the law where trafficking victims or victims forced into this would not be subject to prosecution and the statute comes out of the human-trafficking law that passed in 2007," said Giannini.
The bill makes prostitution a misdemeanor no matter where it occurs. In the proposed law, penalties are the same for prostitutes and their customers.
Individuals convicted of prostitution face up to six months' in prison and fines of between $250 and $1,000 for first-time offenders.
The bill, first introduced two years ago, has not passed in previous House sessions because some legislators believe many prostitutes are forced into the sex industry by traffickers and pimps.
State Sen. Paul Jabour, D-Providence, is sponsoring a similar prostitution bill to Giannini's in the Senate.
Rhode Island state police Colonel Supt. Brendan Doherty applauded the House's passage of the prostitution bill.
"Our main concern as a relationship to prostitution and trafficking is to dismantle any organization that would coerce or exploit a young woman into a life of prostitution. We look forward to legislation passing so we have the right tools to pursue cases so we don't have women in Rhode Island being exploited," said Doherty.
"We look forward to it (prostitution bill) passing and then we could do away with a reputation of legalized prostitution. It erodes the moral fiber of the state," said Doherty.
Giannini and Sen. Rhoda Perry, D-Providence, are sponsoring identical bills, which would apply fines of no less than $40,000 and up to life imprisonment for trafficking anyone younger than age 18 for sexual purposes.
