Attorneys at The Legal Aid Society welcomed the move by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance to no longer prosecute prostitution and unlicensed massage – in addition to dismissing thousands of backdated cases, as reported by The New York Times.

Recent years have seen a surge in organized support to lobby lawmakers for the full decriminalization of sex work, with advocates calling it a means of survival for many in these marginalized groups.

The change signals an evolution in the criminal justice system’s approach to sex work, which has long focused on prosecution and punishment. Abigail Swenstein, Staff Attorney with the Exploitation Intervention Project at The Legal Aid Society, attested that the vast majority of her clients over the last two years had been women arrested in massage parlors, and predicted that the move would have a major impact on the national conversation about sex work reform.

“[This announcement will] have reverberations for sex workers and trafficking survivors well outside of New York City in feeling less stigmatized,” she said.

Legal Aid, however, also called on Albany lawmakers to pass legislation (S6419/A8230) that would fully decriminalize sex work and provide for criminal record relief for people convicted of prostitution offenses.

Sharifa, a member of the Exploitation Intervention Project’s Advisory Board, remarked, “being arrested for prostitution when I was being trafficked made me feel hopeless, like there was no way out. Even after leaving my trafficker, prostitution was the only job that I could get for a while. This left me with a criminal record. Until all records are vacated, all people with prostitution arrests will still be limited in their employment options. The DA’s new policy is helpful, but our hope is that the NYPD stops making these arrests altogether.”