CALL TO ACTION – California Victim Compensation Program Discriminates Against Sex Workers

Our campaign to remove the discriminatory regulations 649.56 of the California Victim Compensation Program (CalVCP) is gaining momentum. Your chance to demand an end to this discriminatory regulation that bans those who have been injured in the course of prostitution transaction is here:

Interested stakeholders can also phone in on a teleconference line to participate.

CALL: 888-363-4734
INPUT PARTICIPANT CODE: 802963 at the stated date and time above.

If you choose to participate via telephone, please reply that you are doing so to Geoff Feusahrens at e-mail Geoffrey.Feusahrens@vcgcb.ca.gov 

You may also email your demand to remove this discriminatory regulation to the above address.

You can write your demand to remove regulation 649.56 at
CA Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board
ATN: Geoff Feusahrens, Legal Division
400 R Street, Suite 500
Sacramento, CA 95812

CalVCP is a statewide program that provides financial compensation for victims of rape and other violent crime. Cal VCP’s regulations exclude sex workers and ex-prisoners on felony probation or parole from getting compensation.

We started this campaign when a member of our community was brutally raped and attacked in her home and was then denied victim compensation.

CalVCP rejected her claim for compensation by using Regulation 649.56: Involvement in the Qualifying Crime of Prostitution. Ms R has no convictions for prostitution so the Board’s decision was a basis judgment. This is our effort to organize to get justice for Ms R and demand an end to this discriminatory regulation.

While Ms R appeals the decision in her case, we the undersigned have submitted our written and oral objections at two prior hearings against this discriminatory regulation held earlier this year. Objections were also made to Regulation 649.4(b) which excludes formerly incarcerated people on felony probation or parole from the compensation scheme.

Ms R testified: “I was judged and disqualified as an unworthy victim by your program, and the seriousness of my injuries was overlooked. I was dragged from room to room, there was blood everywhere, my head was squeezed and my ear drum ruptured and I was raped – all this was discounted. I was made to feel that I was somehow responsible for the events leading to the “qualifying crime”. No, I didn’t ask to be raped. And my actions did not encourage the rape. How can there be a law like this? Are only some rape victims innocent victims?”

This is your chance to stand up and demand the immediate removal of these discriminatory regulations before the public hearing.

We demanding an end to discrimination in compensation awards to make way for all rape victims to achieve justice. No matter who we are, how we dress, where we go, how we act, whom we date or what we do for work— we all must have access to compensation and justice. Clearly this discrimination constitutes a loophole. When victims of rape are belittled in this way, it sends the wrong message to the public and to would-be rapists; that anyone can treat prostitutes or those they precieve as prostitutes as badly as they please and the resulting injuries will never be fully treated as such because of these types of discriminatory regulations.

Please ADD your voice now.

Sign-on supporters

Alexandria House

ACLU of Northern California

BAYSWAN, Bay Area Sex Worker Advocacy Network

California Crime Victims; Coalition on Homelessness/SF

Californians United for Responsible Budget

Erotic Service Providers Legal, Education and Research Project

Every Mother is a Working Mother Network

Faithful Fools Street Ministry

Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace

Global Women’s Strike

Harm Reduction Coalition

LA CAN

Legal Action for Women

Long Beach Area Peace Network

Los Angeles Community Action Network

National Lawyers Guild/San Francisco Bay Area Chapter

Orange County Peace Coalition

Sex Workers’ Outreach Project/Bay Area

US PROS Collective

Veterans For Peace chapters 067 and 110