Associate Professors Corey Shdaimah and Shelly Wiechelt have a new paper published in Journal of Policy Practice.
Using a visual method developed with input from program participants, this article reports on data collected from people attending a Baltimore drop-in center for women in street-based sex work (N = 17). Respondents created collages expressing future hopes and aspirations, which they discussed in focus groups and interviews. Respondents focused on health, reunification with family, employment and housing. Although respondents’ easily visualized goals, they often seemed out of reach. Hurdles that they noted were largely due to poverty and lack of opportunities. Shdaimah and Wiechelt's findings highlight the negative impact of prostitution policy on women’s choices and their ability to achieve self-identified goals.