hmmmm.... is this just another attempt by the city of phoenix to mix goverment and religion and allow the Catholic Church to force its views on Phoenix citizens. Or it it just another attempt for the city of Phoenix to shake down people convicted of victimless crimes for money. Men who are force to attend the program have to pay $750 for the brainwashing. Original Article Phoenix hails success of 2 prostitution diversion programs Monica Alonzo-Dunsmoor The Arizona Republic Oct. 6, 2005 12:00 AM Nearly 50 men arrested for soliciting sex in Phoenix since January got a free pass out of jail by completing a city-sponsored diversion program for johns, the only one of its kind in Arizona. The daylong course, which includes talks with those who have been hurt by prostitution and testing to determine the men's attitudes about buying sex, costs $750. But it wipes the arrest from the offender's record in the same way defensive driving courses work with traffic tickets. City officials are hosting a news conference today to mark Prostitution Awareness Week and to talk about the success of the Prostitution Solicitation Diversion Program and their latest efforts to crack down on street prostitution. "There is too much street prostitution in the city. It's damaging to businesses, tourism and is an overall blight on the community," said Assistant City Attorney James Hays, who is reviewing the way the city deals with the problem and is looking for ways to make improvements. The diversion course for men, which started this year, is designed to help raise the offenders' awareness about how prostitution contributes to community decline, said Barbara Strachan, a program coordinator for Catholic Social Service, the agency that runs the diversion class for the city prosecutor's office. "They talk about how many people have been murdered in prostitution and the secondary crimes that affect the community," Strachan said. "They talk about the children having to watch what they're doing in parking lots, and that the people they're picking up are often the victims of sexual abuse or are minors." The morning starts off with a risk assessment for sexually transmitted diseases and runs through information about prostitution laws and ways to control sexual addiction. While the program for those who solicit sex is new, a more intensive program has been available to the prostitutes for eight years. More than 700 individuals, including men, have completed the Prostitution Diversion Program, and city officials say that 74 percent of them have not been rearrested for prostitution. Diana Glossip, 46, of Phoenix said she sold her body for years to support her crack addition and can't remember how many times she was arrested. About four years ago, she opted for the diversion program rather than six months in jail. "It changed my life," she said. "They helped me with my self-esteem and my drug addiction. I got back my dignity and self-worth." She now shares her story about surviving a rape at gunpoint, living on the streets and waking up in fields hungry. "It's demeaning to be out there," she said. Phoenix Councilman Dave Siebert said he asked the city attorney to look at ways to reduce the street prostitution that has spread across the city. "I think we're going to see some good results out of it," Siebert said.