TYLA – Turn Your Life Around

The TYLA program is a therapeutic treatment court that diverts criminal cases from the regular criminal division to this court for those individuals who are approved and seek treatment. It is designed to help individuals arrested for prostitution and prostitution – related charges escape the sex trade industry by providing them with resources that address their root issues.

• Drug and Alcohol screening
• Out patient or inpatient drug / alcohol treatment
• Genograming
• Case Manager
• Education referrals
• Trauma Therapy
• Weekly group sessions

Each participant’s progress will be reported to the entire TYLA Court through monthly team staffings held prior to the status conference court proceeding. Detailed status reports are prepared and copied for the Judge and all team members to review as a part of the staffing process. A review of their treatment and overall program status will be discussed, along with any program violations and recommendations. The judge finalizes all rewards and sanctioning.

There is no financial requirement apart from standard costs that would attach to the offense that brings the client into TYLA court. These include court costs, cost of investigation, cost of prosecution, and cost to the defense. Some of these costs can be converted to community service should the client be doing well. Restitution, if ordered, must be paid before successful graduation.

A charge of prostitution. Non-prostitution charges if they involve a defendant who would be appropriate for TYLA may, on a case by case basis, be transferred to the TYLA court docket.

Law enforcement still conducts prostitution stings, but instead of taking the detainee to jail, the subject is taken to meet a case manager to speak about this diversion court. A defendant will then be sent to the next TYLA court date to view the program. Defendant’s can also be sent, after speaking with their public defender, to observe a TYLA court event to decide whether this is something they would like. To be accepted into the program, the case manager from TYLA, the Office of the State Attorney, and the defendant must all agree that this diversion court is the appropriate way to handle the offense.