Manhattan will stop prosecuting prostitution and dismiss past cases

Manhattan will stop prosecuting prostitution and unlicensed massages, District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. announced Wednesday. The district attorney's office dismissed 914 past cases under its new policy, along with 5,080 cases for loitering for the purpose of prostitution. 

"Over the last decade we've learned from those with lived experience, and from our own experience on the ground: criminally prosecuting prostitution does not make us safer, and too often, achieves the opposite result by further marginalizing vulnerable New Yorkers," Vance said in a statement. "Now, we will decline to prosecute these arrests outright, providing services and supports solely on a voluntary basis." The new policy, which is believed to be the first of its kind in New York State, is an effort to prevent unnecessary "future contacts" with the criminal justice system and "empower" New Yorkers to have a healthier relationship with law enforcement without fear of jail or deportation, Vance's office said.