CATCH Court

Creating Autonomy through Collaborative Healing

Our Story

CATCH Court began in 2009 when Judge Paul Herbert saw a woman come into Arraignment Court with bruises and thought she was a domestic violence victim. When he saw her charge was prostitution, he realized it was hard to tell the difference between a victim of domestic violence and a defendant charged with prostitution. Herbert began to research the criminology of prostitution, which led to his understanding of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. He found human trafficking was thriving in Columbus, Ohio, and there were limited means of escaping the cycle of exploitation and abuse. Herbert created CATCH Court to provide a path of rehabilitation, recovery, and support for participants who are diagnosed with substance use disorder. CATCH Court's hope is to provide a model for courts throughout Ohio and the United States for how to establish their own restorative justice approach for individuals caught in human trafficking. CATCH staff want more justice leaders to begin viewing people differently as a way to effectively Change Actions that Change Habits.

What We Do

In Franklin County, Ohio alone, approximately 1,200 women are arrested each year for solicitation. Rather than viewing a woman convicted of a prostitution-related arrest as a criminal, CATCH views her as a victim who needs acceptance, commitment to a structured program, and the unwavering belief in her ability to transform her life from one of dependency to one of freedom.

Our Mission

CATCH is committed to the liberation of all women who have experienced the cycle of abuse embedded within human trafficking, and the sex industry. By providing robust resources and inclusive community regardless of socioeconomic background, race, or sexual identity, CATCH hopes to provide an evidenced-based treatment court program for women to successfully exit the criminal legal system and the sex industry. CATCH strives to serve as a model program for court leaders throughout Ohio and the United States.

" Something happened to them. Something that was not their fault.
They are a victim. And yet, they are strong, so they must survive. Survive at all costs."

— Judge Paul Herbert, Founder of CATCH Court

Our Success in Numbers

• 80% - National Recidivism Rate for Women in Prostitution
• 45% - Recidivism Rate for all women who have been in CATCH
• 18% - Recidivism Rate for CATCH graduates
• 25% - Graduation rate among participants
• 69 - Women have successfully graduated to date

Media

• A Grander Vision - Judge Paul Herbert
• Caught in Columbus
• From Defendant to Survivor: How Courts are Responding to Human Trafficking
• Dana Jackson - Clinical Program Manager, Chat House
• CATCH Court provides beacon of hope for human trafficking victims
• A Pioneering Ohio Courtroom Helps Trafficking Victims Find Hope
• A Decade Of Diversion: Franklin County's Court For Sex Trafficking Survivors

Hundreds of people gathered to recognize the latest graduates from Franklin County Municipal Court's CATCH Court, the state's first human-trafficking specialized docket.

• Human Trafficking Court Graduates Celebrate New Beginning

"I knew without CATCH I was going to die. I needed CATCH Court like I need my breath. I realized my way was the wrong way and started doing it their way. Things just fell into place; everything and everyone. I consider myself one of the luckiest and happiest people on earth."

- Lori Moyer, 2020 Graduate

Central Ohio law enforcement recently arrested 93 as johns targeted in human trafficking stings.

"Operation 614" was a two-day sting at hotels across central Ohio that targeted the demand side of the sex trade as well as efforts to identify victims of human trafficking and get them connected to services.

• Read More from the Columbus Dispatch

Judge Paul Herbert came to the realization that human trafficking victims looked incredibly similar to those convicted for prostitution. Through research, he learned the horrible truths about the sex industry in Columbus and decided to take and founded CATCH Court in 2009 to provide a path of rehabilitation, recovery, and support for human trafficking victims.

• Watch: A Grander Vision - Judge Paul Herbert

"CATCH gave me my first sense of true family. They loved me until I could love myself. They helped me replace my shame with purpose. Without CATCH Court I would not be here to share my story."

- Amber Pascol, 2016 Graduate and 2020 Certified Peer Support Specialist

"No little girl ever dreamed of growing up to become a prostitute"

The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 20.9 million victims of human trafficking globally and sex trafficking is estimated to be a $150 billion per year industry, worldwide.

• Watch: Caught in Columbus

Some Numbers

There are many common threads among participants in the program.

• 72% grew up in poverty
• 86% don't have a HS diploma or GED
• 93% are mothers
• 83% have already been linked in the mental health system
• 94% have been victims of sexual or intimate partner violence

Download a CATCH Court Brochure(PDF, 594KB)

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