Men busted for buying sex attend ‘John School’ to duck jail
Men arrested for soliciting prostitution in Los Angeles may be offered an unusual alternative to jail time: a court-ordered rehabilitation program known as “John School.”
The program, formally called the Prostitution Diversion Program, allows eligible offenders to avoid incarceration and have their records cleared if they complete a one-day educational course. Organizers say the goal is to confront buyers with the real human cost of prostitution and help prevent repeat offenses.
“Most men believe prostitution is a victimless crime,” said Bill Margolis, the program’s founder. “They think it’s a simple transaction. That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Margolis, a former Los Angeles vice detective with three decades on the force, says he created the program after witnessing the harm caused on both sides of the sex trade. He encountered women who were controlled and abused by traffickers, as well as men who lost their families, careers, and health due to compulsive behavior linked to prostitution.
The course features online instruction, statistics, and firsthand accounts from survivors of prostitution and former buyers. Speakers describe how trauma, coercion, and exploitation are often hidden behind what appears to be consensual street activity.
One graduate, who identified himself as Eddy, said the program helped him recognize his sex addiction and seek professional help. After financial strain and marital problems, Eddy began frequenting Los Angeles’ Figueroa Corridor, known locally as “The Blade,” eventually spending thousands of dollars a month.
After his arrest, Eddy was given a choice between jail time or John School.
“Until I went through the program, I didn’t realize how many men are dealing with the same addiction,” he said. “It becomes the first thing you think about every day.”
Program officials say results have been strong. In its first five years, only four out of more than 1,500 participants were rearrested for soliciting prostitution, according to public radio station KPCC. Since its launch in Los Angeles County, the program has expanded to several surrounding counties and has graduated more than 4,400 men from a wide range of professions.
Similar diversion programs now operate in cities across the country, including Chicago, Washington, D.C., Nashville, and St. Paul.
Another graduate, who goes by Will, said the program changed how he viewed the women he paid for sex. “I realized they weren’t choosing me — they were surviving,” he said. “And my actions were part of what kept them there.”
Not everyone is eligible. Margolis emphasized that cases involving minors are excluded from the program and prosecuted with jail time.
Despite increased law-enforcement efforts against traffickers, prostitution remains visible along parts of Figueroa Street. In recent years, police have conducted large-scale sting operations and arrested multiple alleged ringleaders accused of exploiting vulnerable women and teens.
Advocates argue that reducing demand is a critical part of addressing the problem.
“I knew what I was doing was illegal,” Eddy said. “I just didn’t care — until I understood what it was doing to me, and what it was doing to those women.”
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