Prostitution has been called the world’s oldest profession. And because it has existed since antiquity, many people tend to view the practice as a harmless or victimless crime. Some even argue that it shoudn’t be illegal at all.

But when people exchange money or favours for sex, there is always a consequence. Adults, youth and children become sexual objects with price tags and are often physically and emotionally scarred by the sexual exploitation of prostitution. Affected neighbourhoods suffer from discarded needles and used condoms, as well as an increase in gang and drug activity.

In partnership with Manitoba’s police and judicial system, The Salvation Army is working to end prostitution on Winnipeg streets. “We are targeting both the sex trade workers and the consumers,” says Dianna Bussey, director of Winnipeg’s Correctional and Justice Services. “We need to address both the supply and demand for prostitution.”

The Army operates its prostitution diversion program to help victims of the sex trade get off the street and into healthier lifestyles. “We host a camp where we invite women, men, transgendered people─as well as some youth ages 16 years and up, out of the city for three days and encourage them to leave the sex trade,” says Bussey. “We are under no illusion that a three-day camp will accomplish this, but we try to build relationships and offer hope so that when they choose to leave prostitution, they know who they can turn to for help.”

For many, abandoning a life of prostitution will require significant lifestyle changes, such as addiction treatment, trauma counselling and establishing community supports. But as long as there’s demand, people will continue to be exploited for sex.

“We also operate a ‘john school’ to teach individuals arrested for the purposes of engaging in prostitution the consequences of their actions and the impact on the victims of the sex trade,” says Bussey. “In Winnipeg, when a man is arrested for soliciting a prostitute, his vehicle is seized immediately. If this is a first-time offence, he may be able to attend the school.”

The johns─or consumers─pay a fee to attend the school, which in turn helps fund the prostitution diversion camp. At the school seminars, the men interact with a number of speakers, such as community members, police officers, former johns and former prostitutes. They also meet with counsellors, a Salvation Army officer and therapist. If the men participate fully in the program, the Crown attorney likely will drop the criminal charges.

“The Salvation Army is meeting people at their most vulnerable,” says Bussey. “The men come in broken and think that their life as they know it is over. And while we hold people accountable for their actions, we treat them with unconditional respect and without judgment.”