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Sandi Pierce Named 2015 PATHBREAKER Award Recipient for Groundbreaking Research on Sexual Exploitation of American Indian Women and Girls

ARLINGTON, VA. – Alexandra (Sandi) Pierce, Founder and President of Othayonih Research, has been named a 2015 Pathbreaker Award recipient by Shared Hope International for her outstanding leadership in exposing, addressing, and preventing domestic sex trafficking of American Indian, Alaska Native, and other girls of color. Her report, Shattered Hearts: The commercial sexual exploitation of American Indian women and girls in Minnesota was the first research published in the United States on the impact of this issue on Native communities.

As a nationally recognized doctor of applied sociology, Dr. Pierce contributes new research on emerging issues including the commercial sexual exploitation of Native women and girls (Shattered Hearts; New Language: Old Problem) and trafficking markets, specifically the structure and processes of trafficking operations that exploit minor girls (Mapping the Market). Dr. Pierce draws on her experience as a survivor of sex trafficking to elevate the integral voice of survivor leaders in the national discussion on sex trafficking. She is of Onondawaga (Seneca) descent, a position that allows her to raise awareness of the unique and complex plight of Native American sex trafficking victims while promoting leadership from members of tribal nations.

One of her most notable contributions to the field was her research, Shattered Hearts, commissioned by the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center and W.K. Kellogg Foundation, that found a unique link between sex trafficking and generational trauma or historical trauma. This unique form of trauma is caused by significant historical events or generational hardships imposed on Native Indian women and girls and contributes to their increased risk of sexual exploitation and trafficking.

“Dr. Pierce has exposed the problem of sexual exploitation of Native women and girls that can lead to improved justice for the victims,” Shared Hope International President and Founder Linda Smith said. “Her continuing research on the issue of sex trafficking provides unique, experiential insight challenging us to respond.”

Dr. Pierce holds Master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Minnesota’s Department of Sociology. She is a member of the State of Minnesota’s Human Trafficking Task Forces, and Shared Hope International’s JuST Response Council.

The 2015 Pathbreaker Award recipients also include John Cotton Richmond, Esq. (U.S. Department of Justice) and Sheriff Thomas Dart (Cook County Sheriff’s Office). The awards will be presented at Shared Hope International’s JuST Conference on November 12 in Washington, D.C.

History of the Award: In 2000, the U.S. Department of State engaged Shared Hope International to hold Pathbreaking Strategies Conferences in six countries to energize the global conversation and share innovative approaches to combat trafficking. During this process, the Pathbreaker Award was established to recognize the pioneering efforts of individuals throughout the world who broke the trend of inaction and initiated proactive responses to prevent trafficking. See all Pathbreaker Award recipients.

Media Materials: For media convenience, a variety of video clips and resources, including survivor comments, are available at this location: http://vimeo.com/user12564384/albums. Clips are password protected, please contact Taryn Offenbacher at Taryn@sharedhope.org for access.

Shared Hope International was established in 1998, by former U.S. Congresswoman Linda Smith, to prevent, restore, and bring justice to women and children in crisis. We provide leadership in awareness, training, prevention strategies, restorative care, research, and policy initiatives.   sharedhope.org

For more information contact Taryn Offenbacher at (602) 818-3955 or taryn@sharedhope.org.

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Fighting Sex Trafficking Head-On in Arizona: A conversation with Mesa Police Department’s Sergeant Domenick Kaufman

Recently, Sgt. Domenick Kaufman of the Mesa, Arizona Police Dept. was kind enough to talk to us about his work to combat sex trafficking in his state. Sgt. Kaufman goes into detail about his department’s current tactics and approaches and how organizations like Shared Hope and the Hickey Family Foundation have helped those efforts.

— Q&A —

  1. Can you tell me a bit about Project Blue Heat? What are its goals? Has it been successful?

Sgt. Kaufman: Approximately 3 years ago, the Mesa Police Department looked into the issue of sex trafficking (adult and child victims) in an attempt to better understand the scope of the problem in our community.  Unfortunately, Mesa PD does not have a dedicated unit/squad tasked with investigating these types of cases.  Therefore, we created a collaborative approach to investigating cases and running proactive stings.   The personnel used for sex trafficking investigations are tasked with other duties (i.e. sex crimes, undercover narcotics, etc) and it was difficult to “free up” the necessary personnel on a consistent basis.  The purpose of Project Blue Heat is to ensure we have personnel dedicated to this initiative for a specified period of time.  The project was also a good opportunity to seek grant funds to assist with offsetting the costs of running proactive operations or stings.

Project Blue Heat goals:

  1. To identify and rescue underage persons who are victims of sex trafficking
  2. To identify and arrest sexual predators who are looking to traffic and/or engage in sexual activity with underage persons

So far, we believe it has been successful on a number of fronts.  We identified and rescued two 15-year-old girls who were being trafficked last year.  These are separate, unrelated incidents and their cases are still on-going.  In addition, we have a plan to consistently address sex trafficking in our community, we have made arrests of buyers to support demand reduction initiatives and we have established contacts with several adults who we suspect are victims of trafficking. They have been provided resource information as a potential “out” for them to use to break free from the life of prostitution.

  1. How has the Hickey Family Foundation played a role in Project Blue Heat?

Sgt. Kaufman: The Hickey Family Foundation has been a phenomenal partner and resource for us.  They were one of the first groups to come to Mesa PD and ask questions about what we are doing to combat sex trafficking.  They not only helped us identify the problem, but provided funding and networking resources to help create solutions.  We submitted for a grant from the Foundation at the end of last year to fund some operations for Blue Heat during 2015.  They graciously approved our grant and the funds have been used exclusively for our sex trafficking operations this year.

  1. How big of a problem is trafficking in Arizona?

Sgt. Kaufman: That is the number one question that everyone wants to know.  The problem is…we don’t really know for sure.  I can quote national statistics and research estimates that are found in various studies and publications, but I think the real answer is found from two valuable sources:

  1. Interviews with those arrested for prostitution in Mesa
  2. Online escort ads and “john” discussion blogs

When you start researching ads, and asking questions of those in the life, you come to realize this is happening everywhere.  There are hundreds of escort type ads posted every day that mention “Mesa” or “East Valley”.  Are all of those ads consenting adults?  No…of course not.  And when you speak to the adults who are now doing this without a pimp or trafficker, most will tell you that they got started when they were under the age of 18.  This tells me we have a very big problem.

  1. What inspired your department’s decision to focus on sex trafficking?

Sgt. Kaufman: We were inspired by questions from the community (including the Hickey Family Foundation), as well as our current Special Victims Unit Detectives and Missing Persons Investigators who had a feeling our “at-risk” youth population was being recruited by pimps/traffickers.

  1. What is different about the way your department is addressing the issue of trafficking?

Sgt. Kaufman: Mesa PD does not have a trafficking or Vice Unit, so we were forced to use a multidisciplinary approach to working these cases. We combined Special Victims Detectives with Undercover Detectives for targeted operations.

  1. One article stated that “ultimately, there’s a whole new approach to fighting human trafficking in Mesa.” What is the new approach?

Sgt. Kaufman: Not really a new approach, just a different focus. Rather than focusing on arresting prostitutes, we are looking to identify and arrest pimps and buyers.

  1. For the past several years, the Hickey Family Foundation helped bring over 100 law enforcement officers, prosecutors and other professionals from Arizona to the JuST Conference in DC. Can you talk about the effect this trip had on you and your team? Have you noticed a difference in Arizona’s response because of the training they received?

Sgt. Kaufman: In my opinion, the annual Shared Hope Conference is the premier training and networking event for sex trafficking investigators and victim service providers. People return from the conference with a better understanding of the scope of the problem.  Hearing first-hand accounts from survivors really impacts the participants in a profound way. Mesa has been lucky to have representatives attend the conference each of the last 3 years, and I feel we have gained improved support from our chain of command due to this.

  1. What are the areas of most concern for you currently in the fight against human trafficking in Arizona?

Sgt. Kaufman: We are doing a good job reacting to cases that come in, but my biggest concern is on the prevention side. I’d really like to see more programs for educating our youth to prevent them from being future victims and/or buyers.

[clear-line]

Meet Sgt. Domenick Kaufman at the 2015 JuST Conference! Sgt. Kaufman is teaming up with Detective Scott Carpenter of the Scottsdale Police Department to present No Vice Squad…No Problem! A Multi-Disciplinary Response to Sex Trafficking in Your Jurisdiction. This session is designed specifically for agencies without a dedicated vice squad or human trafficking unit.  This course will offer strategies for identifying the scope of sex trafficking in your jurisdiction, raising awareness for law enforcement and the community, developing protocols for sex trafficking investigations and collaborating with non-governmental organizations to increase resources in lean budgetary times. The training will provide an overview of how agencies are applying the victim-centered approach to their investigations. Case studies will demonstrate how this collaborative approach increases the recovery of trafficked victims along with the arrest and prosecution of traffickers and buyers. 

Learn more and register at sharedhope.org/just2015.

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New Science Connects Brain Development To Community Corrections For Youth in Juvenile Justice

llThe National Institute of Justice hosted a conference on justice-involved youth and the new science in brain development led by Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Assistant Attorney General Karol Mason, in addition to a panel of experts. Attorney General Lynch introduced a wide array of restorative programs and ideas to reduce recidivism among late teens and young adults based on new brain developments. Assistant Attorney General Mason moderated the panel. The conference was primarily concerned with youth and young adults ages 18 to 24 who are in the criminal justice system.

“Young adults are disproportionately likely to be arrested in general; disproportionately likely to be arrested for violent acts in particular; and more likely than any other age group to commit additional crimes within three years,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch began on the morning of September 8, 2015 at the Justice-Involved Young Adults segment of the National Institute of Justice Conference. “Research indicates that as young adults age through their late teens and early 20s, they experience a period of rapid and profound brain development. In addition to providing insight into why young adults act the way they do, brain science also indicates that we may have a significant opportunity, even after the teenage years, to exert a positive influence and reduce future criminality through appropriate interventions.”

According to Vincent Schiraldi, Senior Advisor at New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, adolescence changes through eras and should be based on intellectual milestones rather than age. Elizabeth Cauffman, Psychology Department of the University of California-Irvine, explained that the frontal lobe of the brain, in charge of decision making, is not fully developed until the age of 25. The ability to make intellectual decisions peaks at the age of 16, meaning that a 16 year old has the same cognitive functions to reason as a 30 year old. However, maturity, or a balance of decisions and emotion, does not peak until 25 when the brain is fully developed. So while a 16 year old has the full intellectual capacity to make a decision, the decision relies on impulse controls that are not yet fully developed. At the age of 25, it is expected that these young adults can completely reason through those decisions with a complete balance of cognitive function and emotion.

Now that scientists better understand brain development, law enforcement and policy makers can use this information to inform services and programs to help young adults caught in the criminal justice system. Panelists suggested that demographics such as family structure or income do not need to hinder the success of a young adult if they have hope and a will to change. Today, youth programs within the criminal justice system can be elaborate and are informed by new developments in psychology and science. Youth receive tutoring and education assistance, accountability, substance abuse counseling and more.

Glenn Martin, a previous youth offender and now founder of JustLeadershipUSA, stated, “You know, people tell me I’m the exception and I simply respond ‘I had exceptional programs.”

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Success! Three Trafficking Victims Granted Their Day in Court Against Backpage

WA Supreme Court

On September 3, the Washington Supreme Court issued a much anticipated order that will allow three domestic minor sex trafficking victims their day in court against Backpage.com. This marks a critical blow to the online classified giant’s claims of immunity under federal law and could lead to thousands of victims gaining access to justice against online facilitators at last.

In July 2012, three child sex trafficking victims who were advertised on Backpage.com filed a lawsuit against Backpage.com for its role in their exploitation. Backpage.com asked the court to dismiss the case, citing immunity under the Communications Decency Act. The Washington Supreme Court agreed to hear the motion on October 2014.

To support the sex trafficking victims’ pursuit of justice, Shared Hope International filed a joint Amicus Brief alongside those of the Washington Attorney General and others. The victims’ attorney, Erik Bauer, presented this precedent-setting case at the 2014 JuST Conference to inspire further actions on this issue.

For more cutting-edge strategies from national experts, join us at the 2015 JuST Conference.

Listen to Kubiki Pride, the mother of a child sex trafficking victim who lost her claim against Backpage.com in 2010, as she shares her story at the 2013 release of the Protected Innocence Challenge state report cards, an initiative designed to promote justice for victims of domestic minor sex trafficking.

With your help we will continue to keep up the pressure to close the virtual marketplaces of child sexual exploitation!

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Announcing John Cotton Richmond, 2015 JuST Keynote Speaker and Crime Fighting Powerhouse

John Cotton Richmond is more than a crime fighting powerhouse; he is a man of passion and conviction. As a prosecutor in the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit at the U.S. Department of Justice, he spends his days investigating and prosecuting cases to free victims and bring the heavy hand of justice against traffickers. He travels the world, working with foreign governments, prosecutors, nongovernmental organizations, and victim service organizations to bring training and policy assistance.

 “One of the most interesting things I do is meet with real victims and hear their stories, and they are powerful stories of exploitation and abuse but also resiliency and hope. I also get to sit down with traffickers and perpetrators and hear their stories. It might surprise people they have stories too.”

After spending countless hours interviewing traffickers—learning firsthand about their business model, how they recruit and groom their victims—Richmond believes that traffickers chase one idol.

“One misconception is that traffickers are motivated by hate or bias; they are out to hurt people. They do hurt people, but their goal is not to go out and use people, their goal is to make money. It’s all about the money.”

This economic motivation compels traffickers to operate their crime like a business, recruiting victims who appear to need the least amount of manipulation or coercion. While trends indicate specific vulnerability factors may increase the risk of trafficking, there is no consistent stereotype by which traffickers or victims may be generalized—making success equally difficult to define.

John Cotton Richmond

U.S. Department of Justice
Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit

“Some cases I could point to [as successful] because more victims were rescued, but a single victim case is just as meaningful. We can point to cases where we have had greater monetary restitution for victims, but we don’t want to highlight wealthy traffickers. We could point to cases where a trafficker received a life sentence, but from the victim’s perspective having their autonomy to live their own life again is more important than the number of years someone spends in jail.”

Just as the measure of success is unique to each individual and case, the meaning Richmond finds in his work is uniquely rooted in a grand desire to allow the justice system to provide the foundation from which survivors may be empowered to move forward in freedom.

“The most meaningful part [of my work] is seeing survivors after the case is over, their trafficker has been removed, and they believe the system has worked for them.  They can rebuild their lives. The resiliency and hope they demonstrate is inspiring.”

In a field where many feel called to dedicate their life’s work to fight against sex trafficking, Richmond says passion is not enough.

“For people who want to be involved in this work, one of the most important things is to become excellent. Victims need the very best efforts of individuals. Passion is important, essential; it is necessary, but not sufficient. Human trafficking victims need more than people who care a great deal; they need people who can bring excellence and passion to the important work of seeking justice.”

To counter the heaviness of his work on this topic, Richmond enjoys what he calls his “grand passion”: his wife and three children. The time they enjoy together provides the foundation from which Richmond is able to go back out and keep working. He said when people ask how he can deal with seeing so much evil, pain and darkness, he has one response:

“When you see survivors thriving, that inspiration, that encouragement, outweighs the darkness that exists. There is so much more power in light than in darkness.  Light is stronger than darkness.”

The 2015 JuST Conference

Don’t miss your chance to see John Cotton Richmond November 12 at the 2015 JuST Conference.

Learn more.

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