State Lawmakers – A Follow-Up

While the federal Congress continues to muddle along (the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which was allowed to lapse in September, has yet to pass), Washington State Congress has been hard at work. A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about several different pieces making their way through the state legislature, and with the signing of three final bills today, an update seemed appropriate.

As of this writing, 12 bills to protect people against human trafficking have been signed into law in Washington State in 2012. Many of them are the same Senate bills that I mentioned in my January 17 post, others were merged into House bills or combined with other Senate bills.

The 12 bills signed into law include 8 of the bills previously mentioned:

• SB 6251: Regulating online advertising of commercial sexual abuse of a minor (Sens. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, Jerome Delvin, R-Richland)

• SB 6252: Addressing commercial sexual abuse of a minor and promoting prostitution in the first degree (Sens. Adam Kline, D-Seattle, Joseph Zarelli, R-Ridgefield)

• SB 6253: Concerning seizure and forfeiture of property in commercial sexual abuse of a minor and promoting prostitution in the first degree crimes (Sens. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way, Adam Kline, D- Seattle)

• SB 6254: Compelling a person with a mental disability to engage in prostitution is promoting prostitution in the 1^st degree, even absent the use of force (Sens. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam)

• SB 6255: Vacating sentences for underage victims (Sens. Karen Fraser, D-Olympia, Adam Kline, D- Seattle)

• SB 6256: Adding commercial sexual abuse of a minor to the list of criminal street gang-related offenses (Sens. Steve Conway, D-South Tacoma, Jerome Delvin, R-Richland)

• SB 6257: Addressing sexually explicit performance (Sens. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, Steve Conway, D-South Tacoma)

• SB 6258: Concerning unaccompanied persons (Sens. Val Stevens, R-Arlington, Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood)

The bill to allow the Secretary of the Department of Health to conduct inspections of massage parlors, SB 6104, was combined with SB 6103 so that the bill both removes the practice of reflexology from the exemptions from licensure for massage or massage therapy and grants authority to the secretary of health to conduct inspections of massage business establishments (Sens. Karen Keiser, D-Kent, Karen Fraser, D-Olympia).

SB 6260 wasn’t passed, but HB 1983 passed instead, increasing fee assessments for prostitution crimes (Reps. Kevin Parker and Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney).

Also passed were HB 2177, designed to protect children from sexual exploitation (Reps. Connie Ladenburg, D-Tacoma and Bruce Dammeier, R-Puyallup) and HB 2692, concerning the reduction of the commercial sale of sex (Reps. Tina Orwall and Katrina Asay) were both included.

The biggest splash came from SB 6251, which requires age verification by providers of online ads. The bill is seen by many as a direct – and well warranted – response to Backpage.com, where the escort service ads have made big news. Backpage.com was mentioned by name in several news stories, including this one by NPR.

According to a press release by Alison Dempsey-Hall, Senate Democratic Communications, “Backpage.com, whose parent company is The Village Voice, makes at least $22 million a year from online adult escort ads, but refuses to verify the ages of those who place the ads or are depicted in them, even though its print edition published in the Seattle Weekly requires in-person age verification. This results in minors being sold online into prostitution and sex-trafficking. All state attorneys general have called on Backpage.com to stop selling online adult escort ads.”

“This groundbreaking, bipartisan bill responds to the public’s outrage over the exploitation of vulnerable kids – including runaways and addicts – by certain businesses,” said Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna, a leader in the anti-trafficking movement.

Only a few weeks after the bill received national attention, legislators in Connecticut introduced a similar bill, and other states have anti-trafficking bills in the works as well. Even as the government fails to keep federal laws on the books to fight slavery, there is momentum at the state and local levels, as well as in the non-profit world.

Reflections from the Global Forum on Human Trafficking

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the Global Forum on Human Trafficking in the Silicon Valley. It was somewhere between a traditional conference and a thousand-person think tank. The talks included such high-powered speakers as Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner and archbishop of Capetown, South Africa; Sarah Ferguson, the Dutchess of York; Mike McCarthy, Vice President of CNN International; Tim Tate, executive at Al Jazeera English; Sean Litton, human rights lawyer and Vice President at International Justice Mission; Paul Rice, CEO of Fair Trade International; and Douglas Alexander, Shadow Foreign Secretary of the U.K.

The abolitionist movement has friends in high places. The Forum was an excellent place to connect with passionate leaders in the anti-slavery world, and to feel the energy, dedication, and passion of the movement.

Here are the top 10 thoughts that stood out from the 32 pages of notes that I took during the event:

10. A shift is already happening in the business community. Companies are realizing that their own long-term success is linked to sustainable supply chains. They want to know that the money they pay for materials is actually getting back to the producers. They see consumers becoming more conscientious, and they want to avoid embarrassment to their brands. This is not altruism; this is what makes sense for businesses today. We need to keep the pressure and increase the demand for ethically traded products. ~Paul Rice, CEO of Fair Trade International

9. We should demand accountability from the brands we buy the same way we do from non-profits who ask for our donations.  ~Larry Wu, CEO of REBBL Tea. Make it a badge of honor to say how ethically traded a product is, the way it has become a badge of honor to say how “green” a product is. ~Mike McCarthy, Vice President of CNN.

8. The world is more connected than ever before. Once upon a time, democracy was a crazy idea – that you could send a piece of paper to every person and ask their opinion. We have tools to get the word out, spread information, spread ideas. Use the power of social media. ~David Morin, CEO of Path.

7. Everyone can do something. What can you do in 10 minutes? Add the Polaris Project hotline number to your cell phone in case you meet a trafficking victim? What can you do in 10 days? Put on an event at your church to get the word out? What can you do in 10 months?  ~Betty Ann Boeving, Freedom Summit Chair.

6. Trafficking is profit-motivated. This is its weakness as well as its strength. We can change the equation, make the public justice system work so that traffickers can’t buy impunity. We can increase the costs and the dangers. If we make human trafficking less profitable, it will become less common. ~ Sean Litton, human rights lawyer and Vice President of International Justice Mission.

5. Stories can create a visceral personal connection that helps people get involved. More people get involved with every story CNN Freedom Project and other media put out. ~ Mike McCarthy, CNN

4. There is a leading trend toward corporate social responsibility, as well as transparency. Companies can be committed regardless of whether consumers appreciate the efforts they are making. A code of vendor conduct is not a program, but remediation, fixing the problems you find, is the beginning of a program. There are people in the business world who want to do better for its own sake.  ~Kindley Walsh-Lawlor, VP of Social & Environmental Responsibility, The Gap

3. You don’t have to have any special credentials to be useful to the anti-trafficking movement. Not For Sale South Africa (and its partnership with the local police) started because some college girls were in the area and noticed a problem. Your credentials are that you are available. ~Christina Bacino, NFS South Africa

2. Human traffickers are extremely well networked. They have connections all over the world. We need to be even better networked – across different denominations, faiths, and political perspectives. We need to be the network for the vulnerable. ~Eddie Byun, lead pastor of Onnuri English Ministry, Korea

1. It’s not enough to rescue the thousands – we must protect the billions who are vulnerable. What you really wish for a victim is that she was never abused in the first place. We must focus on prevention. ~Sean Litton, human rights lawyer and Vice President of International Justice Mission.

A Gap Between Anti-Trafficking Laws

Congress missed its September 30th deadline to pass the 2011 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), so as of today we no longer have the federal law to condemn human trafficking and protect its victims.

What does this mean to the anti-trafficking world?  It means less support for the non-profits that are fighting human trafficking, and less legal recourse for victims and prosecutors. It’s important to remember that many states have their own laws against human trafficking, and though it doesn’t come with much political clout, there is also an international anti-trafficking law. Human trafficking hasn’t suddenly become legal.

However, the TVPRA allows us to fight modern slavery much more effectively. It created new federal crime law to differentiate between human trafficking and other forms of violence. It allows for legal protection of foreign national victims as well as domestic. It created an office of the State Department to monitor and prevent human trafficking. And it signaled to the world that the United States was at the forefront of the fight against trafficking.

I’d like to share an excerpt from an article by World Vision’s Policy Advisor on Child Protection:

“From 2003 to 2007, the owners of the U.S. company Global Horizons trafficked more than 600 Thai workers to U.S. soil. The company lured the men with promises of high-paying agricultural jobs.

When the men arrived after having paid exorbitant recruitment fees, their passports and immigration papers were taken from them. Instead of receiving high-paying jobs, the men were forced to work on farms in Washington state and Hawaii to pay off the “debt” they were told they incurred.

In 2007, the owners of the company were arrested. The victims were referred to service providers, who handled everything from medical care and legal services to making arrangements for those who wanted to return home. In June 2011, the eight defendants in the Global Horizons case were convicted of their crimes.”

The TVPRA made possible the arrest, prosecution, and sentencing of these traffickers. Services for the victims were made available more easily thanks to the TVPRA. This legislation is an important tool for protecting trafficked persons and prosecuting their traffickers.

I know I mentioned this in my last post, but it’s important enough to mention again: please e-mail your Senators and Representatives, and encourage them to pass the 2011 TVPRA. You can find and contact your Senators here and your Representatives here. America must not be complacent about slavery.

On the Importance of a (Continued) Legal Framework for Fighting Trafficking

In 2000, the U.S. government passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). I’ve talked about the TVPA in earlier posts; it was a monumental piece of legislation in the fight against human trafficking. It defined trafficking in persons and the protections available to victims. It took a firm stance to combat human trafficking through a model known as prevention-protection-prosecution. It created the structure for cooperative investigating and prosecuting of traffickers.

That monumental piece of legislation is set to expire September 30^th of this year.

What can be done? There’s an option on the table called the 2011 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), which would continue the existing protections for victims, and add a few more.

The 2011 TVPRA was introduced to the House by Howard Berman (D-CA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) in August. There is also a Senate version. The re-authorization bill would continue the provisions from the original legislation (which establishes human trafficking as a federal crime and provides assistance to survivors and certain legal rights to foreign victims), as well as adding new provisions to strengthen existing programs and services.

International Justice Mission provides a summary of the changes. I’ve re-posted their summary below:

The House bill includes several important provisions, including: 

• Authorizes new emergency response capacity for the State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons in situations like the earthquake in Haiti, which placed large numbers of children and adults at risk of trafficking.
• Strengthens the Protect Act, which allows the U.S. to prosecute Americans visiting abroad who exploit children in sex tourism. The new provision would also allow prosecution of Americans living abroad, not just visiting.
• Strengthens regulation of foreign labor recruiters in the U.S. If enacted, it will prohibit recruiters’ requiring payment by foreign workers (which is often the way that workers are forced into debt bondage) and provides a process to credential legitimate labor recruitment agencies. 

(From www.ijm.org)

The TVPA made possible the beginning of a concerted national response to human trafficking in our borders, and it is critical for continuing the efforts. Jesse Eaves, policy advisor for World Vision’s Children in Crisis program, put it starkly by saying, “If [the Trafficking Victims Protection Act] is not renewed, the United States’ fight against trafficking will end on October 1.” (Health News).

Please help by urging your representatives to pass this legislation. International Justice Mission provides a quick-and-easy format here for emailing your Senators and Representatives to pass the 2011 TVPRA and continue the fight against trafficking. The TVPA was a giant step forward in combating modern slavery, and its re-authorization is vital to continuing these efforts.

Effective Abolition: More Than Good Intentions

For the modern abolition movement to be effective, we need more than good intentions: we need smart activism. We need a clear
understanding of the problem, and intelligent, well-designed strategies to combat it. This week I want to take a look at Sudan and discuss what happens when good intentions aren’t backed by good strategy.

 

Slavery in Sudan was virtually eliminated by the British during WWI, but it returned with a vengeance when the National Islamic Front took control of the government in Khartoum. The NIF armed Baggara tribesmen to fight southern Sudan in the country’s civil war that has raged continuously since the country gained independence. The Baggara had enslaved the southern Dinkas in the past, and re-armed by the NIF, they resumed the slave trade that the British had ended years before. The Baggara have rounded up many thousands of Dinka, mostly women and children, in numerous slave raids.

 

I could write about the terrible things that Dinka slaves are suffering at the hands of the Baggara slave traders, but I’ve written often in this blog about the atrocities that human trafficking victims suffer. I am sure you get the idea.

 

In the early 1990’s, relief agencies began to hear of the return of slavery in southern Sudan. The Sudanese government vehemently denied the rumors of slave trade, but eyewitnesses kept coming forward. John Eibner, a member of Christian Solidarity International, courageously defied the Sudanese government by chartering a plane deep into southern Sudan. Eibner met with many Dinka whose family members had been taken in the Baggara raids, and he brought their stories to the news media in 1995 and 1996. The world began to take notice of Sudan, and people wanted to help.

 

Christian Solidarity International noticed the local practice of buying back slaves, and decided to get the western world involved.
In a process called “slave redemption,” activists, churches, public schools, institutions, and community groups began pouring money into the movement, buying thousands of Dinka slaves from the Baggara and declaring them free.

 

Unfortunately, buying people out of slavery is not the best method of fighting human trafficking. Slave redemption creates a secondary market for slave traders; it encourages the Baggara to abduct more Dinka to sell to the well-meaning Westerners. It legitimizes the slave holders’ “owndership” of the Dinka they’ve kidnapped. It undermines the international laws against human trafficking, and rewards the traffickers.

 

The slave redemption movement is certainly well-intentioned, with generous supporters that are clearly concerned about the plight of impoverished and enslaved Sudanese. But the method of slave redemption implicitly accepts the buying and selling of human beings. People should not be owned. As abolitionists, we need to stand firmly against the ability of any person to own other persons; we must not legitimize the slaveholders’ ownership of slaves by paying them.

 

Slave redemption also fuels the black market for slave trade; it provides a secondary market for slaves. Economic rewards for slave
trading must be eliminated. Instead of giving money to slaveholders in hopes that it will help end human trafficking, we should be giving money to support slave rescuers and other smart forms of activism. We need to make sure that we support real solutions and don’t cause unintended harm.

 

Clearly there are a lot of people who would like to support the freedom of the Dinka and other victims. If we can help people focus
those efforts toward solid, effective ways of fighting trafficking, we can go a long way towards ending slavery.

Re-Post of Hilary Clinton’s “The Fight Against Human Trafficking: Moving Toward a Decade of Delivery”

Below is the re-print of a op-ed piece by Hilary Clinton, published this week to coincide with the release of the 2011 TIP report. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote this piece discussing the magnitude of human trafficking around the world as well as the work being done to combat it.

The fight against human trafficking: Moving toward a decade of delivery

By HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
Secretary of State

Published: Monday, Jun. 27, 2011 – 6:44 am

Last year I met a group of young girls in Cambodia living in a shelter for survivors of human trafficking. They wanted the same things we all desire for our children: the opportunity to live and learn in safety, to grow up free to fulfill their God-given potential. But for these girls, those basics seemed nearly insurmountable. They had already endured traumas that defy description and shock the conscience.

A decade since the United Nations adoptedthe Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, there are more slaves living in the world today than at any point in history. The story of those girls in Cambodia, and the many others like them around the world, should serve as a call to action for us all. It’s time to redouble our efforts and renew our resolve to end this scourge once and for all.

The United States has made combating human trafficking a priority at home and around the world. It devastates communities, undermines the rule of law, tears families apart, exploits the most vulnerable in society, and offends our most fundamental values.

Fighting slavery is part of who we are as a nation, but this crime affects us all individually as well. When we eat produce that was picked by enslaved hands, when we buy clothes stitched in sweatshops by unpaid workers, when we look the other way on street corners where prostitutes are forced to sell their own bodies, consciously or unconsciously, we all contribute to this crime. We must also all contribute to stopping it.

Over the last 10 years, governments around the world have joined this struggle. To date, more than 120 countries have adopted anti-trafficking laws consistent with the U.N. Protocol, which established the 3P Paradigm of prevention, prosecution, prevention. That progress has been reflected in the State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which assesses government efforts to curb sex and labor trafficking.

This week we are releasing a new report ranking 184 countries and territories. It finds that we are at a critical moment in this struggle. The last 10 years have been a decade of development in which governments have made promises, forged partnerships, and put in place new legal mechanisms to make meaningful progress combating human trafficking. Yet despite this progress, worldwide the number of prosecutions has leveled off, victim identification is inadequate, and protection services are weak.

We cannot allow the momentum of the past decade to slow. Instead, it should be accelerated.

That’s why going forward, the measure of success for government action – including our own – cannot merely be whether legal frameworks and protection mechanisms exist, but whether those tools are being implemented effectively and are making a real difference for trafficking victims and survivors.

To live up to those promises, the next 10 years need to be a decade of delivery.

That means governments everywhere must improve their efforts to combat all forms of trafficking, whether for sex or labor, domestic or transnational, affecting men, women, or children. Criminal justice and law enforcement organizations should not only enforce existing anti-trafficking laws, but refine their methods to fight modern slavery in order to keep up with an evolving understanding of the crime.

Partnerships among governments can improve our ability to combat exploitation in all its forms, whether by cracking down on fraudulent recruitment practices in source countries, screening migrant populations for potential victims, or aggressively prosecuting those who hold individuals in compelled service. Recent developments in supply chain monitoring will allow governments to work with the private sector, so that consumers can know whether the goods and services they buy come from responsible sources. Around the world, governments and non-government organizations are innovating and collaborating on new practices to protect victims and punish their abusers. But that knowledge must be coupled with action.

This is a crime that affects every nation, including the United States, and every government must take responsibility for stopping it. In countries with well established rule of law, it is not enough to assume the legal system will just take care of this problem. We must take proactive steps in identifying victims, delivering justice, and providing survivors the support and protection they need. At the same time, those in developing countries cannot plead limited capacity as an excuse for an anemic response. We have seen that political will, creative solutions, and strong partnerships can help fill the void left by a lack of resources.

The story of those girls in the Cambodian shelter is heartbreaking, but it should also give us hope. Their experience shows how effective law enforcement, comprehensive protection measures, and the commitment of good people can bring victims out of the horror of slavery and help them live healthy and productive lives. The United States is committed to this goal. We will do our part to move from the decade of development to the decade of delivery. But we can’t do it alone. For the millions of people who toil in the shadows, unseen and unheard, all of us must make this effort a priority.

What Trafficking? Part 2 – Awareness and Response

Last week’s blog post was about defining the nature and the scope of trafficking as a problem in the Spokane area. When Spokane’s Coalition to Abolish Human Trafficking meets in a few weeks, we’ll discuss how to implement some of the ideas sparked in various brainstorming sessions. Any further suggestions on how to tackle the need for data would be greatly appreciated.

As promised, this week’s post is about a second aspect in the gathering of information: evaluating Spokane’s awareness of human trafficking, and determining the range of existing anti-trafficking efforts and services.

Runners in the Race 2 End Slavery last month reported a surprising number of comments that showed a confusion between human trafficking (which is kidnapping and forced labor and/or prostitution) and simple illegal immigration. It’s hard to say from a few anecdotal comments how much widespread misconception there is around the issue of trafficking. How much does Spokane know about human trafficking? Are people aware that slavery still exists in the world? In the US? Do they know that Spokane is home to forced prostitutes, that the tri-cities area has had problems with slave labor, and that Seattle is one of the nation’s hot spots for human trafficking of all kinds? Are people already supporting organizations like International Justice Mission and the Polaris Project?

The more I learn about human trafficking, the more I discover that Spokane, America, and the world are filled with concerned citizens. It’s not just in churches, where people are taught to care for the less fortunate; compassionate people with a desire to better the world can be found everywhere. When people are given a clear way to support organizations that are fighting a well-defined problem, people come out of the woodwork to give time, money, and other forms of support.

Last week we talked about defining the problem itself. This week, we’re asking “How do we evaluate Spokane’s understanding of human trafficking?” Part of the answer is simply getting in touch with the community; gauging how people respond to the Race 2 End Slavery and other events that are in the works among the coalition, and having conversations with people. However, a more formal set of data would be very useful in applying for grants and in convincing other organizations and sectors to partner with modern abolitionists. It may also help awareness-raisers know how to frame their message and what audiences to target.

In this case, I propose a survey, which can be given in written form to students, churchgoers, and others, or asked as a series of questions at community events (think Pig Out In the Park, Hoop Fest, Artfest, Bloomsday, First Night Spokane). Perhaps it could even be printed in the Inlander or available online.

Now, if only we can find some Communication or Sociology students to write the survey… 😉

Meanwhile, volunteers at the Coalition are beginning to connect with other organizations in the Spokane area to find out what services do exist and how the Coalition and others can partner together to create a network of resources and community support. Between concerned citizens and activists, non-profit leaders, and partners in law enforcement, we hope to make Spokane an extremely difficult place for traffickers, and a safe, supportive community for former trafficking victims.

What Trafficking? Part 1 – Defining the Nature and Scope of Trafficking in Our City

Last week, I met with Spokane’s Coalition to Abolish Human Trafficking (the group’s working name) and we discussed goals and our approach to fighting trafficking in our city. The biggest obstacle that we’re up against right now is not trouble with funding or public interest, but a lack of data.

In order to ask law enforcement, churches, philanthropists, and the community at large to back an effort to fight trafficking, it’s important that we be able to show that there’s a problem. We need to define the nature and the scope of trafficking in our city. How do you gather data on a problem that is underground and illegal?

Gary Haugen and others at International Justice Mission (IJM) gathered data on prostitution in Cambodia by posing as customers in the red light district of Svay Pak. They infiltrated the sex trade, wearing hidden cameras to document the evidence. With enough data, they worked with the local police and carried out a dramatic raid, rescuing many young girls. Gary Haugen wrote a book called “Terrify No More,” chronicling the experience.

IJM workers were courageous and their efforts very effective and I tip my hat to them. But this is Spokane, not Svay Pak, and we’re a coalition of mostly college kids and other community members. While we have the deepest admiration for the IJM staff and their work, Spokane needs an approach that isn’t quite so dangerous or flashy.

This blog post is interactive: I’m looking for your ideas. These are the two possible approaches that I’ve come up with so far

• If workers at the women’s shelters (e.g. Women’s Hearth), street youth outreach program (such as Cup of Cool Water), and low-income health care facilities (such as Community Health Association of Spokane – CHAS) were willing to partner with us, we could come up with a list of common “red flags” to look for. Workers could keep an eye out and track how many patients or visitors came through their doors that exhibited signs of potential trafficking situations,  this data might be used to convince law enforcement to partner, write effective grant proposals, and explain to potential donors and volunteers why we think there is a problem.

• Volunteers and staff members at Not For Sale Campaign sift through online advertisements for sex services (not a fun job, I’m sure) and look for signs of trafficking. Sometimes they find evidence of human trafficking and are able to provide the police or the Polaris Project tip line with the information. Volunteers in Spokane could take a similar approach; Not For Sale offers training at their “Investigator Academy” for this.

With those two thoughts, I’m out of ideas. Here’s calling all the smart, concerned, innovative people that can be reached via the Blogosphere – please chime with any suggestions. How can we determine who is being trafficked, who are the traffickers, and how big the problem is? Are the suggestions I’ve outlined likely to be effective? What other strategies would you suggest?

This blog is the first of two pieces on defining trafficking in Spokane. I decided to tackle the bigger one first, and the one that could most use your thoughts and ideas: defining the trafficking that is happening in Spokane. Next week, I’ll discuss the less daunting task of defining the nature and scope of Spokane’s understanding and awareness of trafficking.

On Recognizing and Responding

We’re concerned citizens. We care about freedom and justice. We know there are human trafficking victims in our own cities and neighborhoods. So what should you do if you encounter human trafficking victims in your community? What signs should you look for? What should you do if you recognize a slavery situation? How should you respond?

A great resource that everyone should be aware of is the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 888-3737-888. Polaris Project, a leader in the modern abolitionist movement, set up this hotline for trafficked individuals, concerned citizen, and anyone who comes into contact with someone they think might be a victim of trafficking. The phones are staffed 24 hours a day with knowledgeable, concerned people who have resources all over the country at their fingertips.

I have personally met a few of the brilliant and dedicated individuals who make up the organization, and they are the best resource I have found for immediate response to real-life trafficking situations.

I have taken the liberty of re-posting from the Polaris Project website a list of red flags that you can look for, things that might mean someone is in a slavery situation. These items are not definitive evidence of slavery; people show signs of mental illness, poor physical health, and unwillingness to make eye contact, for instance, for many reasons. But they can be signs of trafficking, especially if you see several of the red flags in the same situation.

Keep in mind that the folks at Polaris Project don’t expect you to be sure it’s trafficking before you call. They are trained to help determine if it’s a real trafficking situation, and to know when to call law enforcement and who to call for your area.

Here are the red flags from Polaris Project’s website:

The individual…

Common Workplace and Living Conditions

• Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
• Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts
• Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp/manager
• Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
• Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
• Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
• Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
• Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
• High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)

Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior

• Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
• Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement
• Avoids eye contact

Poor Physical Health

• Lacks health care
• Appears malnourished
• Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture

Lack of Control

• Has few or no personal possessions
• Is not in control of his/her own money, or has no financial records or bank account
• Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport)
• Is not allowed or able to speak for himself/herself (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)

Other

• Claims of just visiting and inability to clarify where he/she is staying/address
• Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or does not know what city he/she is in
• Loss of sense of time
• Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story

As the abolition movement has gained traction in the US and law-enforcement has begun to step up its anti-trafficking efforts, there’s no denying that human trafficking is happening in our own cities all over the US. Let me add a quick disclaimer that I’m not advocating that anyone go looking for human trafficking; please don’t put yourself in a dangerous situation. But if you do come across sometime suspicious, call the hotline number above. Concerned citizens with our eyes open can help make our streets safer for everyone.

Fighting Trafficking on the Home Front

Spokane’s got human trafficking victims. We’ve got human traffickers. It’s easy to think of this problem as existing somewhere else, out there in the world; Southeast Asia, maybe, or north Africa. When Seattle discovered it had a serious problem with human trafficking, that was a little close for comfort. Even so – Seattle is a city, a port city. But Spokane? Human trafficking victims here, on our own streets?

It turns out Spokane is home to hundreds of teen prostitutes. It turns out there’s quite a market for 12- and 13-year-old girls.

Washington State University did a study this year. Here is a link to a video that KHQ put out (it’s in two parts: http://www.khq.com/category/195686/video-landing-page?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5814172&flvUri=&partnerclipid= and http://www.khq.com/category/195686/video-landing-page?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5815258&flvUri=&partnerclipid=) about child prostitution in our city.

Right now there are a small group of people working to put together a coalition to fight this atrocity here in the Inland Northwest. Actually the coalition doesn’t even have a name yet, but we do have big ideas – ideas to work together with law enforcement, non-profits, and concerned citizens to make Spokane safe for our kids. We have dreams of rescuing and caring for victims, successfully prosecuting traffickers (did you know that not a single trafficker has been prosecuted in Spokane?), and preventing further trafficking by protecting vulnerable people in Spokane.

Last weekend, several Spokane-ites participated in the Race 2 End Slavery and raised over $12,000.

Good things are happening in Spokane. More to come as the city’s anti-trafficking coalition gets moving.

Have a blessed day!