| |
The EIPP is a diversion program for adults who
receive tickets—but are not incarcerated— for
involvement in prostitution. EIPP clients are sentenced to
complete court-mandated hours at SAGE, rather than going to
jail.
EIPP clients who are dealing with trauma or substance abuse
may also be screened and admitted to the STAR Center or referred
to SAGE’s Mental Health program. In these cases, EIPP
clients are eligible and welcome to continue receiving services
if they choose, after completing court-mandated hours.
EIPP clients work with individual SAGE case managers to create
a treatment plan involving participation in SAGE peer counseling
and recovery groups, wellness services, or recreational and
therapeutic activities. The EIPP counselors offer clients
care, crucial information on how to navigate the criminal
justice system, and discuss opportunities to increase physical
safety, tend to healthcare and recovery needs, and explore
economic and vocational options.
The EIPP plays a critical role in helping individuals involved
in CSE avoid the cycle of repeated arrest and incarceration.
SAGE’s partnership with the San Francisco County District
Attorney’s Office and criminal justice system also marks
an important first step away from the traditional model of
punitive response to individuals in the sex industries and
survivors of sexual exploitation. The shift from incarceration
to receiving peer support and counseling, advocacy, education,
healthcare, and social services represents a dramatic change
in systemic practice in San Francisco, and has made a helpful—sometimes
life-saving—difference for our clients.
The EIPP program works in conjunction with SAGE's First Offender
Prostitution Program (FOPP). While the EIPP diverts clients
away from incarceration, the FOPP works with clients who have
already been incarcerated, or those first-offenders who have
been arrested for prostitution-related offenses and are diverted
into the “Johns School”.
For more information about FOPP, EIPP, the STAR Center, or
other SAGE programs and services, use the links above, or
contact us at SAGE.
|
