Offenders Accountability Re-Education Program (OAR)
"John School"
The VERONICA'S Voice Offenders Accountability Re-Education or "John School" is an intensive, one-day, educational class. The approach brings about intervention for the demand side of prostitution. Attendees are voluntary as well as court ordered. This is the only program that is fee based at VERONICA'S Voice. The fees for this program, which are paid by the "customer/john", go directly back into VERONICA'S Voice and are used for all services and programs VV provides to the commercially sexually exploited.
Communities are successfully reducing prostitution through a proven education and restorative justice-diversion approach. The program is aimed at dramatically reducing recidivism among first-time arrested customers or "Johns" and similar programs have solid track record helping women and girls escape prostitution and drug addiction and step away from the criminal justice system's revolving door once and for all.
This pragmatic and restorative justice program moves law enforcement, criminal justice, and human services to a new level of performance in eliminating the tragic human consequences and high community cost of prostitution.
VERONICA'S Voice's OAR program evolved from the San Francisco First Offender Prostitution Program (FOPP) which was co-founded by Norma Hotaling of SAGE and the San Francisco District Attorneys office in 1995; it has been practiced throughout the US and internationally. The First Offenders Prostitution Program was the winner of the 1998 John F. Kennedy School Innovations in American Government Award.
John School Results
- As an alternative to prosecution, John Schools reduce the demand on overburdened courtrooms.
- As an intervention program, John Schools address root causes of criminal behavior, reducing repetitive arrests.
- As a prevention program, John Schools reduce risk of sexually transmitted diseases and their expensive consequences.
- As a rehabilitation program, John Schools reduce incarceration and dependency upon public assistance.
- Produces crucial cost savings in the criminal justice, health, and human service systems.
- Dramatic results in changed lives and improved communities.