ID: HR19-1164

Presenting author: Alex Andrews

Presenting author biography:

Alex Andrews is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) Behind Bars (SBB) and a former sex worker. SBB facilitates connections between the sex worker rights movement and incarcerated sex workers while serving the needs of imprisoned sex workers and educating the public about these issues.

Know Your Rights Training As Harm Reduction

Jill McCracken, Alex Andrews

The primary fear of many sex workers in the US is of police violence. Much research documents the violence and exploitation committed against sex workers by police, and knowing their rights can be one of the most effective ways they can try to reduce these harms. Although prostitution is criminalized in the US, this criminalization does not extend to police officers. In some states, it is currently legal for members of law enforcement to have sexual contact with individuals under investigation. Individuals have also pretended to be police officers in order to exploit sex workers into having sex with them. This fear of law enforcement allows for and perpetuates harms committed against sex workers at multiple levels.

The Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) Behind Bars proposes Know Your Rights (KYR) training as a significant harm reduction tool. A KYR training is a harm reduction practice that helps keep marginalized populations safe, and helps them know how to remain safe when encountering law enforcement. In this workshop, we provide an overview of sex workers’ rights in the US and also present the toolkit we have developed and made available to sex workers and organizations that work with sex workers. Specifically, KYR training:
• Advises them of where their rights apply during an encounter with police;
• Makes communication suggestions, including language, behavior, and body language;
• Prepares sex workers for what happens after an arrest; and
• Helps sex workers create safety plans in case they are arrested.

The KYR training includes explanations and strategies to:
• Remain silent;
• Include helpful phrases;
• Resist searches without a warrant; and
• Protect information on smart phones.

This workshop also includes roleplaying opportunities, as well as brainstorming with participants about strategies that can help keep them safe in encounters with law enforcement.