CBS 5 - KPHO “Johns School” an option for men arrested for soliciting prostitutes

There's no shortage of men willing to pay for sex, according to vice investigators.  They find prostitutes on the streets, through magazine ads and online.

Last year, 157 men took plea deals after they were arrested for soliciting a prostitute, according to the City of Phoenix Prosecutor's Office. They were given a choice of jail time or a diversion program.  One hundred forty men chose the program, also known as "Johns School."

"The laws are talked about," said Martha Perez Loubert, who runs the diversion program.

Johns School is a one-time option for men busted in Phoenix, said Loubert.  By completing the eight-hour class, the men's cases are dismissed and they avoid jail time, she said.

During the eight-hour class run by Catholic Charities, the "johns" get an education from vice investigators, health care workers, community representatives and psychologists.

"(The purpose is) to show them there has to be boundaries and to show them there has to be respect," said Loubert.  "It's not right to go out and pay for this type of activity."

Former prostitutes also share their stories.

"Jane," who asked that we conceal her identity, is a former entertainment executive who got hooked on cocaine and eventually began turning tricks.

"When I was out on the street, I had to do it to get my next fix, to get a place to sleep for the night, and to get my next meal.  It wasn't a choice anymore," she said.  "I lost my career.  I lost my marriage.  I lost my child.  I lost everything."

She said it's a miracle she's alive today and feels an obligation to help others, including the same type of men who once paid her for sex.

"If it's one person who stops picking up a broken woman from the side of the street, then it's worth me going down there and talking to them," she said.

For a former "john" who also did not want to be identified, it wasn't until he landed in therapy that he saw the error of his ways.

"I learned that they're victims," he said.  "Almost none of them are doing this because they want to."

He has this message for anyone considering trading money for sex.

"This is going to destroy everything you have at this time and destroy your plans for the future," he said.  "You got kids?  You got a girlfriend or wife?  Is that how you want to be seen?"

The Johns School program began in 2005.  Since then, approximately 1,000 men have taken part. The youngest participant was 19 years old.  The oldest was 82.

The education level of the men ranged from graduate degrees to high school dropouts.  Roughly half of the men were married. Many more said they were in relationships at the time of their arrest.

"This knows no social boundaries," said Loubert.

"Johns School" comes at a price tag of $827.  That's in addition to about $600 in fees after a "john's" car is towed and impounded for 30 days.

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