It was obvious to anyone who drove the streets of North Central Regina that the women and girls standing at street corners were at work. In the area around the ministry, the majority of street workers were Aboriginal females, from children to young adults to grandmothers.
John Schools were one day workshops for people who had been charged with prostitution related offences. The possibility of reducing the demand side of the street sex trade posed an alternative option to tacking this old problem.
Over several months, William Davison and Mark Smit initiated numerous discussions with representatives from the Regina Police Service, Saskatchewan Justice, community-based agencies, and families with members currently or formerly active in prostitution. Those discussions fostered many memos and notes of clarification and finally led to a John School pilot program. William, Mark, and I contributed to the unique characteristics of the Saskatchewan John School model.
As the trained counsellor in the mix, Mark brought the latest in knowledge about sexual addictions and relevant counselling approaches. Each participant became eligible to apply following their arrest by the Regina Police Service for a prostitution-related offence. The alternative to the John School was a court appearance, possible conviction, possible record, and the certain cost of associated legal fees and fines.
Application to the John School and subsequent enrollment required the payment of provincially established fees to the ministry. I learned that prostitution is legal in Canada. If the December Supreme Court of Canada decision stands, this option may not be available anywhere in the country. I learned that the legal status of prostitution helps to perpetuate the myth that prostitution harms no one.
