GIRLS EDUCATIONAL AND MENTORING SERVICES (GEMS)
Location: New York, NY
Project Name: Providing Alternatives to Incarceration for Commercial Sexually Exploited Girls and Young Women
Project goals:
This project seeks to create a paradigm shift in the treatment and sentencing within the Bronx Criminal Court of sexually exploited youth, away from a punitive response toward a victim-centered response by
- Identifying and engaging key stakeholders in the sentencing process, including prosecuting and defending attorneys, judges, and criminal justice organizations;
- Establishing a protocol within the Bronx Criminal Court system for sentencing options for sexually exploited youth in order to ensure that these victimsÕ needs are addressed;
- Developing materials to be provided to sexually exploited youth and adults detailing their rights, options, and available services
Project abstract:
GEMSÕ Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) Project provides defender-based alternative sentencing services and support for young women ages 16-21 who are survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and are involved in criminal court within the Bronx on matters related to prostitution and correlating arrests. ATI will also provide training and education for legal professionals in the Bronx to raise awareness of issues relating to commercial sexual exploitation. The ATI project in the Bronx will be modeled after the successful program already implemented in the Midtown Community Court, and accomplished with the collaboration of Bronx Community Solutions, the Legal Aid Society, Bronx Defenders Services, and the Bronx District AttorneyÕs office.Website: www.gems-girls.org