Our Story

CATCH Court began in 2009 when Judge Paul Herbert saw a woman come into Arraignment Court with bruises and thought she was a domestic violence victim. When he saw her charge was prostitution, he realized it was hard to tell the difference between a victim of domestic violence and a defendant charged with prostitution. Herbert began to research the criminology of prostitution, which led to his understanding of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. He found human trafficking was thriving in Columbus, Ohio, and there were limited means of escaping the cycle of exploitation and abuse. Herbert created CATCH Court to provide a path of rehabilitation, recovery, and support for participants who are diagnosed with substance use disorder. CATCH Court's hope is to provide a model for courts throughout Ohio and the United States for how to establish their own restorative justice approach for individuals caught in human trafficking. CATCH staff want more justice leaders to begin viewing people differently as a way to effectively Change Actions that Change Habits.