ABC15 News reported on a Project Rose protest of the "round up" at Bethany Home Church to be held at 4pm Oct 17, 2013  ABC15 said. "ABC15 crews will cover the protest at 4 p.m. outside the Bethany Bible Church, the site of Project ROSE." However,  it was not reported on the 10PM news.  It seems to be organized by a small group of ASU students and obviously I am totally supportive.

Reports are a Project Rose Roundup is "suspected"  to occur Oct 17-18th. These about every six month round ups from ads and web pages of consenting independent companions. It is well funded by grants as well as the millions raised for the "rescue" industry.  Prior roundups have been 2-3 days, usually including a weekend.  

As of 9PM October 17th.  I drove by Bethany Home Church and no activity.  Last time (May 2013) all the gates were closed and only police cars let in as they rounded up all the companions they could find.   Some of the many suspicious calls reported by companions lately may be in anticipation of the next round up.  

In the May 2013 roundup, local media reported it ahead of time but I heard no reports afterwards bragging about numbers "saved" like in the past. It appears the suspected October 2013 roundup is being kept more secret by Phoenix PD.  I do not know where the Oct 17-18th dates came from other than an ASU group.

Last time (May 2013) one of the protesters was arrested for "manifestation" under Phoenix code vs the usual State prostitution charges. It also carries the mandatory 15 days in jail on the 1st conviction.  Others are apprehended for escorting without a license.

In Phoenix it is Project ROSE (they give you a pink purse when enter church)  and in Tucson it is called Project RAISE.

In Phoenix it is spearheaded by ASU's School of Social Work, and driven by the Phoenix Police Department.

Usually no appointment with LE is required, just ads they trace to an address so they can arrest you for solicitation if have GFE or other abbreviations that are known sex acts on ads.  Project Rose is more a "round up" operation vs other types of "stings".

To qualify for "indoctrination" (diversion) six month program, the worker must have no outstanding warrants, no previous arrests for sex work and can't be found in possession of any drugs at the time of arrest.  

The arrest remains part of the sex worker's permanent record regardless of whether or not the diversion program is successfully completed.  

Proponents of these diversion programs raise funds and promote them as helping those who are trafficked or coerced into prostitution. However nearly all people arrested for prostitution charges are classified as victims of trafficking, regardless of their situation and consent. This creates the illusion that diversion programs are saving victims rather than arresting consenting sex workers and requiring them to identify as victims in order to avoid incarceration and receive services. If it their first arrest they can choose between jail, or a six-month indoctrination program of the evils if sexwork.  The city funds Catholic Charities who runs the indoctrination.   Further, many groups raise $millions of funds to supplement this "rescue" industry.  

Many folks are arrested for prostitution-related offenses and brought into the criminal justice system, This means increased costs for states and localities, as well as for those apprehended and their families.  Most can not afford private attorneys so use public defenders of various kinds in Phoenix.  Almost all plead guilty to avoid publicity etc.
 
These programs only serve to continue to criminalize people just trying to earning a living. People with a history of arrest, homelessness, or addiction usually do not qualify for diversion programs.

THE MAJORITY OF POLICE STING OPERATIONS TARGET CONSENTING SEX WORKERS -  Diversion programs are used as an impetus and rationale for increased police raids.  

Project Rose is separate from the FBI joint operations.  It is my understanding local police are assigned with FBI designation to bring Federal trafficking charges if not just an individual independent companion.  Under Federal "Trafficking" no coercion is needed.  If forced than its "severe trafficking" vs just regular consenting adult trafficking.

As a sex work support group  commenting on Project ROSE says, "Imagine being pulled out of your workplace and told to either undergo arrest, or quit your job and take time out of your life in order to complete a program that may take up to six months. How would you pay your bills? How would you take care of your children or other family members? Many people are unable to complete diversion programs because they still need to work. If they do not succeed in completing the program, they face their original charges, often with increased likelihood of incarceration."

I agree Summer besides the challenge of getting an education and passing classes the expense is getting unrealistic for many.  Something to consider is getting hired with a good company that you are interested in growing within the organization.  Usually a good company will offer tuition reimbursement and once you have completed your degree you are able to venture outside the organization if you so choose.  It may take a little longer but just food for thought.  I wish you well in finding a career you can really enjoy and grow with.

ASU has nothing to do with the funding of ROSE as I understand it.  Just a group (led by a social work type Prof, one whose name I forget - that is anti sexwork (all abused victims) and helped organize Project Rose.

It is funded by a city contract to Catholic charities for the rehab program and the various Christian groups that participate with the volunteers to provide food, clothing, housing, drug rebah etc get lots of donation under the false guise of helping children being trafficked.  

The ASU prof totally agrees with all the Melissa Farley fake research (ave age of entry into prostitution is 13 etc). I have written extensively on this on PL , and she was even sternly discredited in her friend of court brief by the Ontario Superior Court judge.

The protesting gals are mostly ASU students fighting against the roundups.

Key of course is no GFE or worse in ads, just stated hourly rate for companionship.  Reviews are hard to use in Court but routinely wind up in police evidence books and used to get plea deals especially when "juicy" with obviously illegal sex acts.

What is really sad is that ASU, UofA, and NAU are all part of the "more affordable" tier of national universities. With over 80k students enrolled you would think ASU would have more reasonable tuition. It's all about the money nowadays, even for so called "research" institutions.

I'm an ASU alum and when I went in the late 1990's-early 2000's, it really was affordable.  Tuition was around $1500/semester.  Check out the attached link to see what Michael Crow, the regents and the nation's most defective lawmakers did to the students at what was once one of the most affordable universities in the United States.  I left ASU the year before Crow's first recommended hike with a STEM degree and less than $10k in debt.  Students entering today can easily amass an order of magnitude more debt.  Of all the depressing bullshittery Arizona suffers through with it's psychotic, amateur politics and government, the games they've played with higher education over the last decade is the most depressing behavior I've witnessed - even more then the repeated reelection of the country's worst sheriff.

He has a learning disability that is borderline so we don't get help through the public school system. Working with him IS a full time job!!! Escorting allows me minimal time to make maximum money. Otherwise we live on the welfare system for me to keep working at home with him. So these fuckers can kiss my ass.

college is overrated and a total waste of time and money....

Agreed Summer!! But it starts to boil down to the parents filling in where the system fails with education. Most parents are not in the position to spend the sort of time with their kids.

It depends what you study - the problem is most people take courses they have most interest in but have the worst job outlooks.

On the other hand we have a huge education gap for the STEM subjects most needed plus family practice doctors.  

Technology companies have to look to Asia for qualified people and desperately need to get higher quotas for worker visa's since not enough qualified people in the U.S.   In some of the STEM programs at some of best U.S. Universities, in one 70% of students are Asian.

Culturally and will government support Asians take education far more seriously than in the U.S. Why do we have summer vacations with no school?  It is based on the children needing to help in farm fields during the Summer.    

Asians get great training at some of our finest Universities, but can not stay once their worker visa's expire.  So the take all their technology training back to China/Japan and start companies that compete against U.S. companies who can find enough highly skilled people from the U.S.

Cost of course is huge problem with $millions going to professors, administrators and of course often the highest paid college career is in sports.   We take sports far more seriously than a good education in the fields with such high demand we have to rely on Asians to meet . Yet not enough foreign worker visas to get the help needed, thus lose to China/Japan on new innovations etc.  

Further, China/Japan is beating us on infrastructure - our bridges are falling apart while Asians have 200mph bullet trains.

Further. China has so much cash it doesn't know what to do with it other than invest (own) U.S. companies and now expanding ownership/investment in Europe.   China has record high trade surplus and GDP growth has slowed to 7.5% vs our 2% and budget cutting and austerity may slow further.  Europe went on a austerity kick which sent it into recession.  

Meanwhile huge demand for U.S. debt - 3 to 5 times demand vs supply yet some idiots think we have a debt crisis.   No, we have a growth crisis.   Yes in 10 years or so without higher growth and reforms in medicare and social security it will be serious but today we need support for education, infrastructure, retraining for higher level jobs that are needed and higher growth which is the best way to solve budget issues since more tax revenue with more economic growth.

and not leading to arrests. You are overstating the situation and risks.

-- Modified on 10/24/2013 8:05:55 PM

A college education can be worth it, depending on what you choose.   When I was an undergrad in Texas, it was $256/semester for 17hr load including all fees.  That got me a hard science degree.  The way things worked out, I ended up in auto finance industry and getting a free MBA.  I see people young and old with incredible student debt strangling them.    Check out Matt Tabbi's Rolling Stone stories regarding student loan debt.  Anyway..

Investing in education is an investment where you have to question "will the investment generate the necessary payback?".   Unfortunately the game is rigged we're screwed by the banks.  

A mutual acquaintance mentioned you are really intelligent, and I believe her.  Because AZ republicans has done such a shitty job in funding and successfully strangling K-12 education, kids showing up as freshman do not know how to string together a proper sentence, write a paragraph, make change without a computer, and have no idea what science or climate change is all about.  Let's take more tests to show it's the teacher's union fault.   Universities have to spend over a year getting them thru remedial math, reading, etc.  That's why many large employers require a degree to get in the door.  

For what it's worth, build up a big ass bank account, shelter your assets offshore like Mitt Romney & co., and become self employed finding a niche that you like, can make you a decent living and pay quarterly taxes.   A friend asked my advice on how to build up her business, and I've been seriously thinking about how to do something like an Associates in Adult Education?   Topics studied would be sales, marketing, advertising, legal, health, accounting, finance, taxes, Social Security, insurance, etc.  

I got off track, but Summer, you've given me stuff to seriously ponder.   BTW-  PM me and let me know what your degree is in