Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Declared by the U.S. Congress in 2007, the day designated for this issue occurs annually on January 11 and falls during Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This is a day set aside for special recognition of trafficking. Awareness of trafficking is necessary because it’s the first step in addressing […]
Reflections on the Intersection of Mental Health, Human Trafficking and Unjust Criminalization
Dr. Marian Hatcher Shared Hope Policy Consultant Ambassador-at-Large, United Nations Last month was Mental Health Awareness month and as annual attention to this issue prompted introspection about my own personal experiences, I began to think about how the mental health needs of trafficking survivors so often intertwine with the need for federal vacatur and post-conviction […]
Sex Trafficking & Long-Term Health: Recognizing the long-term physical health effects of traumatic stress
Written by Barbara Amaya with Holly Austin Gibbs Photography by Shanna Parker After we had been married for a few years, Jose and I got serious about starting a family. I had never been pregnant before, and, until Jose, I honestly hadn’t given the idea much thought, other than being grateful that I had never […]
Fact Sheet: Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act
Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act (S.4916/H.R.8948) Approximately 4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness in the United States each year. Homeless and runaway youth are among those most susceptible to falling victim to human trafficking as their heightened state of vulnerability and the immediate nature of their needs create an ideal […]
“My story can change things.” – Pieper Lewis, September 13, 2022
In sentencing child sex trafficking survivor, Pieper Lewis, on September 13, 2022, Judge David Porter stated, “Ms. Lewis, this is the second chance you asked for. You don’t get a third. Do you understand?” The judge was alluding to his sentencing order that imposed a term of probation in lieu of immediate imprisonment, however the “second chance” […]