Women Who Sell Sex: What Restorative Justice Reveals about the Heart of God & the Mission of the Church

How do you treat women who sell sex?

In this first episode of a two part series looking at the Christians working to eradicate sex trafficking, we hear from a trauma counselor who works with prostitutes within the criminal justice system.

Hannah Estabrook, Coordinator of CATCH Court, is convinced that kindness helps prostitutes transform their lives from ones of dependency to freedom.

During the two-year probationary program, CATCH women cultivate healthy new habits within the accountability of a small Ohio court community and walk the path toward healing from sexual trauma. 

“This is how you do church,” says one pastor who brings parishioners to CATCH Court.

How we treat women who experience sexual trauma makes all the difference in their path to recovery.

“To be in the courtroom and watch these women in handcuffs stand before the judge as he gives them the biggest smile, welcomes them with open arms and tells each on how much a part of the family they are, I watch their faces shift. I tell you what, when she hears that from the judge it changes everything.”

This Betwixt Podcast episode provides a glimpse into what restorative justice in one Ohio Courtroom reveals about the heart of God and the mission of the church.

Hannah is an educator, TEDx speaker, and abolitionist working to end sex trafficking. She is a licensed counselor specializing in sexual abuse and the co-author of the book Beyond Desolate: Hope vs. Hate in the Rubble of Sexual Abuse. Hannah and her husband live in Franklinton, Ohio where she serves as a lay-leader of Franklinton Abbey, a missional church community in her neighborhood.

NEXT UP: Part 2 in this series on Sex Trafficking. How Do You Treat Men Who Buy Sex? John’s School with Chris Stollar.

Learn more about the podcast at betwixtpodcast.com

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Larycia Hawkins on Stepping Out Onto the Bridge of Solidarity

Walter Brueggemann on Failed White Domination