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Home / Departments / Services / Specialized Dockets / CATCH Court

CATCH Court

Creating Autonomy Through Collaborative Healing
 

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.

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


" 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

 

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.
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