Mar

2

Texas scored a C…

Tags: , , ,
Filed Under Human Trafficking | By Wende Hilsenrod | Leave a Comment

Shared Hope International developed a report card to rate each state’s effort in combating Domestic Minor Victims of Human Trafficking.  Texas scored a C.

The report card is based on the Protected Innocence Legislative Framework, an analysis of state laws performed by the American Center for Law and Justice.  The Protected Innocence Legislative Framework outlines six areas of law critical to protecting and responding to domestic minors of sex trafficking:

Criminalization of domestic minors (4.5 out of 7.5) Protection: limited
Criminal provisions for demand (21 out of 25) Protection: moderate
Criminal provisions for traffickers (11.5 out of 15) Protection: moderate
Criminal provisions for facilitators (6.5 out of 10) Protection: moderate
Protective provisions for the child victim (16.5 out of 27.5) Protection: limited
Criminal justice tools for investigations & prosecutions (12 out of 15) Protection: moderate

 

Texas can and will do better.  How will Texas communities collaborate with law enforcement, juvenile justice, social service providers, faith-based communities, legal services and schools to help victims? How do we prevent, train, rescue, bring justice to and restore victims? How will we prevent, train, rescue, bring justice to and restore victims? 

To access the Protected Innocence Legislative Framework Methodology, each completed Report Card and foundational analysis and recommendations, go to their web site:

http://www.sharedhope.org/WhatWeDo/BringJustice/PolicyRecommendations.aspx

Share

Sep

9

A seemingly simple conversation

Tags: , ,
Filed Under Human Trafficking | By Wende Hilsenrod | Leave a Comment

It was a big family dinner. One of my cousins, an attorney, and I were discussing the various standards of the human trafficking law. Just about everyone had left us to other conversations because “we were at it again, talking abuse.”

Except for another cousin, Miguel, a DJ at one of the popular dance clubs in town. He listened intently.  Ten minutes later Miguel told me that the cleaning crew in the club never looked up, were always supervised, and he had the impression were not allowed to speak to anyone, even when other club employees acknowledged them.  After listening to the earlier conversation, he now wondered whether  they could be victims of human trafficking, even if it had nothing to do with the sex industry.  I told him it could very well be trafficking and encouraged him to report to the local trafficking unit in his city.

Human trafficking is about unscrupulous people making money from the forced blood, sweat and tears of another unwilling human being, who is generally scared to death to speak up and speak out. Victims are forced to work not just in the sex industry, but also as migrant workers, in factories or sweat shops, as nannies, as maids, or any other industry that can make the trafficker quick money. As in the case of a maid or nanny, it is not always about groups of people. Nor is it about the distance the victim has to travel. If the victim “moves” even a short distance due to fraud, force or coercions of fear and for the profit of another person, this is the essence of trafficking.   

Miguel later told me that he always had a “funny feeling” that “something was not right,” but he did not know how to voice his concerns. He had no words for what he was seeing.

 This raises some questions–when you notice a situation that feels “funny” to you, do you know:

Do you talk with your family, friends, and neighbors about what you see in your community that gives you a “funny feeling” that “something is not right”?  Should these questions be part of the larger conversation about community safety? Because human trafficking victims, both international and national, do exist.  We see them every day.

Share