1. •Magdalene is a recovery community for women with a
history of having been trafficked, prostitution, addiction and
homelessness. We provide long-term, disciplined, and
compassionate support, where very isolated women have the
opportunity to heal from deep wounds that date back to
childhood.
•Thistle Farms is our social enterprise where 40 residents
and program graduates are employed in both full and parttime positions to manufacture, market and sell all natural
health and beauty products, hand-made paper and quilts and
to operate and staff a café that is open to the public.

2. Major strategies for overall program and individual
success at Magdalene and Thistle Farms
A "housing first" approach that includes two years of rent free shelter
and support at four residential locations for 22 participants and
transitional rental housing for up to six Magdalene graduates.
• Medical, dental, addiction recovery and mental health treatment
provided at no charge by an established network of local, nonprofit
service providers and partners.
• Paid vocational training and job placement through Thistle Farms, our
in-house social enterprise (www.thistlefarms.org).
• Full and part-time, management level employment at both Magdalene
and Thistle Farms for graduates.

3. Magdalene Residents
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A vulnerability to sex trafficking, addiction and prostitution occur in the
aftermath of a childhood marked by severe abuse, chronic familial and
institutional neglect and early alcohol and drug abuse. The experience of
sexual abuse in childhood by parents and/or caregivers is the single most
common event in the lives of the women we serve.
Current residents report alcohol and drug abuse starting on average at 14 to
numb emotional pain related to abuse.
100% of Magdalene residents experienced rape and physical assault, often
aggravated by use of a weapon, while prostituting and/or being trafficked.
On average they spend 10 years on the street prostituting to support their
eventual addiction and have lengthy records of arrest and incarceration.
Physical and sexual assault on the street, with 100% reporting rape, is often
aggravated by the use of a weapon.
At any point in time 75-85% meet diagnostic criteria for co-occuring mental
illness.
As many as 60% do not have a high school diploma.

4. Core program operating principles
•
•
•
•
•
•
Address barriers to recovery and healing thru trauma informed, rent
free, 24 month “housing first”, stipends and matched savings,
therapeutic case management, access to community based
physical, recovery, mental health and treatment providers at no
cost, paid vocational training and opportunity for ongoing
employment post graduation at Thistle Farms.
12 Step Recovery, Find Your Way Home, “Love Heals—But Not All
By Itself”
Individual, foundation, corporate, congregational and funding from
john school—no state or federal funding
No 24 hour staffing in any of the residences
Not faith based
Therapeutic case management provided by licensed mental health
professionals and peer recovery specialists.

5. Outcomes and replication
• Data from 2005-2013 indicate that 68% of
women who successfully completed two year
program are in recovery, in safe housing, and
are working and/or receive disability income.
• Thru free monthly workshops to over 1000
individuals representing 30+ states there are
now 12 cities replicating model in US-including
St. Louis, New Orleans, Atlanta, Columbus OH,
and Fort Dodge IA.

6. If prostitution is world’s “oldest profession” then
child sexual abuse is one generation older
• Trafficking vs. prostitution is a false dichotomy
• Trafficking as part of sequential narrative that
starts with severe childhood abuse and neglect
and ends with addiction and people who traffic
themselves.
• Abolition/modern day slavery and or supply and
demand language/paradigms very helpful with
public education/raising awareness and
progress in criminal justice perspectives. Does
not translate well in provision of direct services
to survivors.

7. Where to start and what to do?
•
•
•
•
•
Create or join a community coalition of natural stakeholders—faith
communities, social justice advocates, recovery and mental health
providers, criminal justice representatives, child and adult protective
services representatives—to research numbers, needs, impact in
your community.
Challenge the idea that this is always a ‘hidden’ population of
people.
Obtain education about efficacy of both ‘housing first’ and ‘traumainformed care’ models.
Support efforts to prevent child abuse and/or advocate for trauma
informed support for victims of child abuse-ie. Stewards of Children
training
Follow up with Deb Markland to obtain our toolkit for replication!