Imagine a world where perpetual punishment for nonviolent crimes was prioritized over treatment. A world in which victims were prosecuted before they were offered options for recovery. Unfortunately, for victims of prostitution, this is the harsh reality.
But for Donna Sabella, standing by and letting the world remain in this state is not a viable option. Sabella has dedicated her life to providing treatment options for survivors of prostitution and human trafficking. A life of activism and commitment to the cause has led her to join the Department of Nursing at UMass Amherst this coming July.
“I’m beginning to look at real estate,” Sabella warmly said over the phone as our conversation began. Her tone slipped to a more serious tone as our conversation shifted to her work’s focus.
“Nothing was directly addressing the problem of prostitution,” said Sabella. She was viewing a world where survivors of prostitution and human trafficking were faced with inescapable punishment and limited options for treatment.
This epiphany came to Sabella during her time as a mobile psychiatric nurse in Philadelphia. She witnessed a system that was only working around the issues of prostitution and human trafficking — instead of a system taking direct action to resolve them. She knew something needed to be done.
Without treatment options, Sabella said survivors are chained into a “revolving-door” system, a system punishing the same people over and over again rather than addressing the root of their dilemmas. Sabella saw this problem as an opportunity for improvement — with an “emphasis on treatment rather than punishment.”
Holding true to this sentiment, Sabella co-founded Dawn’s Place in 2007. Dawn’s Place, located in Philadelphia, is a residential treatment facility for survivors of prostitution and human trafficking. The mission of Dawn’s Place is to improve the lives of women trapped by, or at risk for child sexual exploitation by providing housing, trauma recovery services, vocational training and other services.
Sabella is also creator and founder of Project Phoenix, an outreach program in Philadelphia that provides resources and services for prostituted and trafficked women. The focus of the program is to raise awareness on the issue and provide resources for those in need.
Sabella said that Project Phoenix was inspired by the Dignity Program, a prostitution-diversion program in Phoenix, Arizona. And 88 percent of women who went through this program never returned to a life of prostitution.
Helping people recover from such a difficult place obviously takes a delicate approach, which Sabella described as “meeting people where they are, catering towards their individual needs and understanding that every case is different.”
Sabella said she is drawn to her work because of “the ability to make a difference — to not just talk about things.” Actively engaging with human trafficking survivors and offering them hope is Sabella’s way of creating direct and substantial change.
Yet, stigma still surrounds the victims and survivors of human trafficking and prostitution. This stigma is even harsher for survivors of prostitution, Sabella said, adding, “There should be a hotline to call for people. You have to get arrested before you get help. Trafficking has a national hotline,” but yet there is no resource for individuals trying to escape prostitution.
“Laws need to be changed,” Sabella said. “People with a history of prostitution have a much harder time getting jobs.” Even after recovery, their damaged reputation remains. It is almost impossible for survivors of prostitution to get jobs while they are shackled to their criminal record. Policy changes, Sabella said, are needed in order to give these people opportunity again.
Policy change is impossible without proper awareness. This is why Sabella also focuses much of her time on education. Her goal as a teacher is, “to combine social justice and nursing,” bringing these issues into the public’s consciousness.
“You cannot change policy without changing stereotypes,” she said.
Sabella maintains a grounded philosophy throughout all of her work — whether is it education, activism or nursing. It is, “to always be prepared, patient and not surprised with anything.”
Commenting on the scope of the issue, Sabella noted “Each level of society is affected.”
Western Massachusetts is no stranger to this issue. Hampden county was affected in a recent case, in which three women were arrested on prostitution charges after police raided eight massage parlors. There was no mention of possible treatment options for the women involved. However, Sabella’s upcoming arrival in western Massachusetts offers the likelihood of new, emergent programs.
The road to recovery is hard, but not impossible, for those impacted directly by human trafficking. One of the women Sabella worked with is now in school for her PHD — proving that recovery is not only possible, but can also lead to greater places than even imagined.•
James Lyons can be contacted at jimlyonsnews@gmail.com.
