Paying the Price: Sex Workers in Prison and the Reality of Stigma

Sex workers are a hidden demographic of the female prison estate. The Corston Report2 called for a new Reducing Reoffending Pathway 9 for women who have engaged in prostitution. Yet this involves having to locate the women who sell sex and having the support in place inside prison. Those engaging in sex work have specific needs relating to health care, securing housing, engaging with charities who assist with safer worker practices and exiting support, and coping with the additional stigma of being a prisoner who also works in the sex industry, particularly in a street-based setting. This paper derives from my Ph.D research at HMP New Hall. There are no official records kept for the number of sex workers in custody. And despite the plethora of research on various elements of the sex industry,3 there is little on the specific group of sex workers in prison.4 My study seeks to be a small part of remedying that shortfall.

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