I don't think the penalty for prostitution is all that harsh. Tax Evasion is the bigger risk to the girls: Janine may have company soon.

The reason for chasing the girls is probably to force them to cooperate convicting the pimps of Mann Act violations etc.
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"If they can't picture me with a knife, forcing them to strip in an alley, I don't want any part of it. It's humiliating." - windsock