Quich-Er-Bichin

In 2003, Providence RI police raided a number of spas suspected of running prostitution rings.  It turns out that current RI law, after judicial review, was found to allow prostitution so long as it is not conducted on the streets.

State Police Inspector Stephen Bannon testified before the RI statehouse, “A lot of people don’t realize that prostitution is legal in Rhode Island if you do it indoors” .  State Police Supt. Col. Brendan P. Doherty noted “persons are free to solicit sex for money in newspapers and/or over the Internet as long as the conduct that is agreed upon takes place in private.”

This “problem” goes back to 30 year old legislation to combat the rampant street prostitution.   The disputed statute was so restrictive that a federal judge found it could potentially ban even some forms of consensual sex between adults.  And the judge  ruled it also had the effect of decriminalizing indoor prostitution.

Since then, the RI house and senate has been trying to re-write the statute but has never been able to craft legislation that would get out of committee and pass both houses.