Dear Friend,
How is ALIGHT mobilizing attorneys across the U.S. to fight for the rights of human trafficking survivors?
Every day, survivors of human trafficking experience a significant justice gap in this country. Two recent reports (see below) address how people who are coerced into work or commercial sex for the traffickers’ profit face barriers to justice and desperately need legal help. In The State Report Cards, one survivor shared:
“I used to obsess about my conviction, constantly replaying the situations and the people who trafficked me in my mind. I could never heal from my trafficking experience. But from the day my record was vacated, I never thought about it again.”
Attorneys are critical to safeguarding and advancing the rights of the most vulnerable in our communities.
ALIGHT is pleased to announce that we will be co-presenting at the American Bar Association (ABA) “Legal Rights and Needs: How Attorneys Can Help Human Trafficking Victims” CLE Training.
The panel of national human trafficking experts includes:
- Martina Vandenberg / Human Trafficking Legal Centert / Washington, DC
- Beth Klein / Co-Founder / Klein & Frank / Boulder, CO
- Marianna Kosharovsky / Executive Director/ ALIGHT / Denver, CO
- Jamie Duitz Quient / Free to Thrive / San Diego, CA
Topics covered include: Sex and Labor Trafficking: Federal and State Law Basics, The Array of Legal Needs of Human Trafficking Survivors, Civil Litigation in State Courts, What Lawyers Can Do to Get Involved in Anti-Trafficking Work and Tips for Attorneys Working with Human Trafficking Survivors.
Time: July 29th at 11am MT / 1pm ET.
Register here, and reach out to us here to request a 15% registration discount code.
We invite you to join us!
In Full Light,
The ALIGHT Team
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ALIGHT exists to unlock a fresh start for survivors. We ENVISION a world where every human trafficking survivor connects to a mobilized legal network to rebuild and thrive.
JUSTICE GAP RESEARCH
APRIL 2019 2018 FEDERAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING REPORT (HUMAN TRAFFICKING INSTITUTE)
The 2018 Federal Human Trafficking Report analyzes federal civil and criminal human trafficking cases. These cases represent only a small percentage of human trafficking instances estimated to have occurred in 2018. Unfortunately, many traffickers will never face justice and many survivors will not receive restitution.
Below are some 2018 highlights from the report:
- The government initiated 171 criminal human trafficking cases in federal courts.
- 95% of the initiated criminal cases were sex trafficking cases, and 4.7% were labor trafficking cases (representing a 29% decrease in the number of initiated cases in 2017).
- 12.1% of the initiated civil cases were sex trafficking cases, and 87.9% were labor trafficking cases.
- 19 of the 91 active civil suits were class actions, five of which involved allegations of labor trafficking within immigration detention facilities, and two related to high-profile allegations of both sex and labor trafficking within USA Olympic sports committees.
Read the full report here, including summaries of all 56 U.S. States and Territories.
MARCH 2019 STATE REPORT CARDS: GRADING CRIMINAL RECORD RELIEF LAWS FOR SURVIVORS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING (ABA SURVIVOR RE-ENTRY PROJECT, UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE, BROOKLYN LAW SCHOOL & POLARIS PROJECT)
This landmark report analyzes criminal record relief laws for survivors in all 50 U.S. States and recommends best practices. It found that:
“Many survivors … have been arrested for offenses stemming from their victimization. Resulting criminal records – both arrest and court documents – then follow survivors and create barriers that impact their independence, stability, and safety.”
The report gave Colorado a “F,” noting that required court fees can make the process too expensive for some survivors to pursue. We are grateful for the attorneys in the ALIGHT network who make this process more accessible for survivors in Colorado by providing pro bono legal assistance.
Why did your state receive this grade? Look for yourself here.
HELP SURVIVORS
Despite the justice gap, there are ways to help survivors rebuild their lives in meaningful ways with free legal help through ALIGHT.
Are you a SURVIVOR of human trafficking (or a COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDER assisting a survivor)?
- Ask the survivor to call the ALIGHT Intake Advocate (LCSW) at 720-608-6039 for assistance with connecting to free legal services in Colorado through ALIGHT.
- For more information on the process and resources for survivors working with attorneys, see ALIGHT resources here.
Are you an ATTORNEY who wants to help human trafficking survivors?
- If you are interested to learn more about working with human trafficking survivors pro bono in the ALIGHT Legal Needs Matching Program, contact us here. We are looking for attorneys in CO with backgrounds in criminal, civil and family law matters, as well as attorneys outside of CO for referrals.
- For resources on working with trauma and human trafficking survivors, see ALIGHT resources here.
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