Comments on: The Crux of Trafficking- Rubber Hitting the Road http://www.danportnoy.com/2009/04/16/the-crux-of-trafficking-rubber-hitting-the-road/ Dan in real life. Be Safe. Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:47:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Justin Dial http://www.danportnoy.com/2009/04/16/the-crux-of-trafficking-rubber-hitting-the-road/comment-page-1/#comment-10733 Justin Dial Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:45:37 +0000 http://www.danportnoy.com/?p=697#comment-10733 Interesting thoughts Dan. I don't believe there is a product/industry that can substitute for trafficking, but a change in US culture can bring about more responses in the form of prevention as well as harsher penalties for traffickers. Recently prevention has become a response to issues like homelessness, health problems and criminal activities. Trafficking prevention may start with more organization, support and money for anti-trafficking agencies run by states and cities. Many cities in the US, like the city of San Francisco, sent their Health Dept. officers to massage parlors along with police officers to run surprise inspections. Through these inspections many of the workers were found out of dress code, without massage licenses and in suspicious living arrangements within the place of business. These efforts resulted in fines, arrests and the freeing of trafficked individuals. This is just one example. On the issue of restoration The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles has a Human Trafficking division that provides trafficking victims with legal counsel and support and also provides them with services contained in The Trafficking Victims Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA). TVPA is linked to the Dept. of Human and Health Services which places these individuals with organizations that can provide counseling, case management, benefit coordination, housing, food, health care, employment assistance, English language instruction and job placement training. The first organization I heard about was SAGE Project in San Francisco which is believed to be one of the best organizations in the US. Along with The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles I've also heard of CAST and LACUC in the Los Angeles area. From what I've heard and the research I've done, I believe that organizations like the ones you were curious to see existed, do exist. What probably needs to happen next is to see these organizations at work and to assist them in this shared mission. Thoughts anyone? Interesting thoughts Dan. I don’t believe there is a product/industry that can substitute for trafficking, but a change in US culture can bring about more responses in the form of prevention as well as harsher penalties for traffickers. Recently prevention has become a response to issues like homelessness, health problems and criminal activities. Trafficking prevention may start with more organization, support and money for anti-trafficking agencies run by states and cities. Many cities in the US, like the city of San Francisco, sent their Health Dept. officers to massage parlors along with police officers to run surprise inspections. Through these inspections many of the workers were found out of dress code, without massage licenses and in suspicious living arrangements within the place of business. These efforts resulted in fines, arrests and the freeing of trafficked individuals. This is just one example.
On the issue of restoration The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles has a Human Trafficking division that provides trafficking victims with legal counsel and support and also provides them with services contained in The Trafficking Victims Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA). TVPA is linked to the Dept. of Human and Health Services which places these individuals with organizations that can provide counseling, case management, benefit coordination, housing, food, health care, employment assistance, English language instruction and job placement training. The first organization I heard about was SAGE Project in San Francisco which is believed to be one of the best organizations in the US. Along with The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles I’ve also heard of CAST and LACUC in the Los Angeles area. From what I’ve heard and the research I’ve done, I believe that organizations like the ones you were curious to see existed, do exist. What probably needs to happen next is to see these organizations at work and to assist them in this shared mission. Thoughts anyone?

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