Karl W. Smith, Columnist

The Economic Case for Decriminalizing Sex Work

Research shows that changing the law brings about a decline in violence against women.

December 3, 2019 at 2:30 PM UTC

Karl W. Smith is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Previously, he was vice president for federal policy at the Tax Foundation and assistant professor of economics at the University of North Carolina.

Is decriminalization the answer?
Photographer: EMILY KASK/AFP

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

This article is for subscribers only.

Last month, after hearing nearly 14 hours of testimony, the D.C. council voted to table a controversial bill that would have decriminalized sex work in the nation’s capital. If they were going strictly by the economics, council members might have decided differently: When sex work is decriminalized, violence against women declines.

This is not just a local debate. The issue is becoming more prominent nationwide, with several Democratic presidential candidates considering it as part of a broader rethinking of the criminal justice system.