Intesections of Sex Work, Violence and Incarceration

Violence and incarceration are everyday realities for people who trade sex. Fear of police encounters. Fear of arrest. Fear of being assaulted, exploited, or ignored. These aren’t side notes. They’re central to our lives—and yet they’re often brushed aside in public policy debates.

We talk about the intersections of policing, poverty, and marginalization like they’re obvious. But what’s less often explored is what happens after the arrest—what violence looks like inside jails and prisons, especially for sex workers.