[co-author: Stephanie Kozol]
In recognition of National Human Trafficking Month, state attorneys general nationwide took steps in January to raise awareness about human trafficking, educate the public about how to identify and prevent this crime, and utilize their offices’ resources and expertise to prosecute and prevent human trafficking. While numerous state and U.S. AGs take action year-round to rid the country of human trafficking, below find highlights of a few significant initiatives announced this month.
Mississippi AG Lynn Fitch announced that approximately $2.5 million in funding from the Victims of Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation Fund will be distributed to nine organizations throughout Mississippi, including Canopy Children’s Solutions, Center for Violence Prevention, Christians in Action, Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence, Methodist Children’s Homes of Mississippi, Mississippians Against Human Trafficking, Mississippi Families for Kids, Southern Christian Services, and Sunnybrook Children’s Home. An active and outspoken leader against the fight, Fitch stated: “[F]ew crimes rob a person of their very humanity and dignity like human trafficking, but we don’t have to let it steal their future. Our community is fortunate to have these nine organizations who work tirelessly with our sisters, daughters, and friends as they piece their lives back together.”
Ohio AG Dave Yost held the fourth annual Human Trafficking Summit on January 26 in downtown Columbus, OH. Ohio’s largest event of its kind, the summit brought together survivors, social workers and victim advocates, law enforcement, attorneys, prosecutors, judges, and other community stakeholders to provide resources and tools to succeed in the fight against human trafficking. The event consisted of 17 workshops and 33 presenters, including Keynote Speaker Suleman Masood from the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking.
New Jersey AG Matthew Platkin launched a new Human Trafficking Unit within the Division of Criminal Justice that will focus exclusively on investigating and prosecuting human trafficking crimes.
Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron announced that his Office of Trafficking and Abuse Prevention launched the Human Trafficking Outreach Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative, which will work with Kentucky’s communities and landlords to identify and shutter illicit massage businesses that potentially enable human trafficking.
Why It Matters
State AGs’ prioritization and collaborative efforts to combat human trafficking only helps to advance the fight against this ongoing crime. By working with the community businesses and leaders in various industries, law enforcement, and all levels of the government, AGs can enrich the collective knowledge, experience, and intel to help the overall effort to fight back.
