Developing An Awareness Program To Better Combat Human Trafficking in Stanislaus County

Submitted by Elisabeth Schendel

30 November 2014

table of contents

Our Mission...... 3

Needs...... 3

The Issue: Human Trafficking...... 3

Human Trafficking in California...... 3-4

Human Trafficking in Stanislaus County..4

Program Design...... 4

The Inspiration...... 4-5

Our Design...... 5

Timeline...... 6-7

Evaluation...... 7

Qualitative Data...... 7

Budget...... 7-8

Locations for workshops...... 8

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Mission

The purpose of Without Permission is to raise awareness of and increase Stanislaus County’s efforts against human trafficking, to expose the reality of human trafficking through media, and to teach the area’s youth and young adults that predators are in our schools, cities, and in our nation.

Theorganization also advocates for those individuals whom are rescued—in the courtroom and in everyday life—by assisting them in finding medical and psychological support, returning to school, and finding jobs. By doing so, it increases the chance that the victim recovered from their human traffickers will remain safe and motivated enough to refrain from falling back into the lifestyle of drugs, forced sex, and unfair treatment.

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Need

The Issue: Human Trafficking

On September 22, 2012, the United States celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. While the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude in this country in 1865, the promise of freedom still eludes thousands of women, men, and children forced into labor and prostitution in the US today.

According to the U.S. State Department, an estimated 600,000-800,000 men, women and children are trafficked across international borders and into the U.S. each year, approximately 80% of which are women and girls and up to 50% are minors.Human trafficking is anclose to $32 billion-a-year global industry, with each individual averaging at $90. It is the world’s second most profitable criminal enterprise, a status it shares with illegal arms trafficking, the two trailing only drug trafficking.

California, the 4th Most Profitable Destination for Trafficking in the U.S.

Forced labor and sex trafficking together are the world’s fastest growing criminal enterprise, and are flourishing in California.As is the case with drug trafficking, California is one of the nation’s top destinations for trafficking in human beings, ranking among the nation’s top four destination states. With its large immigrant communities, the world’s 9th largest economy, and an extensive international border with Mexico, California harbors 3 of the FBIs 13 highest child sex trafficking areas in the nation. According to the Attorney General’s office, between mid-2010 to mid-2014, California identified 1,277 victims and arrested 1,798 individuals. These numbers are low due to under-reporting and under-identifying, due to the fact that many community members and local officials lack the proper knowledge and training in distinguishing victims of human trafficking from other individuals. Also to be noted, a recent report by the US Department of Justice showed evidence that 1 in 3 undocumented immigrants in the state of California were victims of human trafficking.

Youth and people who don’t have consistent caregivers, such as foster children, are more vulnerable to human trafficking, as well. A dysfunctional family environment is a major risk factor in causing girls and boys to run away from home and get caught up in risky behaviors that could lead them to the wrong crowds. Such things as substance abuse by family members; physical, emotional, and sexual abuse within the home; the loss of a parent or a caregiver; being characterized as a throwaway or unwanted; and the lack of a strong support system are the main reasons why children leave their homes. Children then turn to the only means to an end and become victims of kidnapping and then, human trafficking.

Human Trafficking in Stanislaus County

The area of Stanislaus County lacks proper funding, resources, and experienced and passionate personnel to collect the data needed to reflect human trafficking in this area. Local law officials lack the training and experience with recognizing a victim of human trafficking and therefore, combating the industry in the area. But as a major destination on Highway 99—a main thoroughfare from north to south—Stanislaus County has an integral part to play in combating human trafficking in the entire state of California.From the years of 2009 to 2013, over 200 victims were identified and rescued from their captors in the Central Valley. However, there are many more victims estimated in the area, and with more awareness comes more identifications and rescues. As a central location between the main hubs in California—San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles, there are many individuals in this area who are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking exploitation, such as migrant workers and foster care youth.

ProgramDesign

The Inspiration

The SAGE Project, Inc., based in San Francisco, California, provides important—and ultimately life saving services to sexually exploited children and adults in the San Francisco area. Created by Norma Hotaling—a survivor herself—the non-profit organization works closely with law enforcement, public health and social service agencies, and the District Attorney’s office, on restorative justice programs, trauma and drug recovery programs, education and outreach, and—since a high percentage of prostituted individuals are sexually abused and trafficked into the sex trade as children—works to end the escalating sexual trafficking of children and youth in the Bay Area. SAGE has seen very successful educational programs for community members on the issue of human trafficking, and has since become a valuable model for workshops in California, in the U.S., and around the globe.

Our Design

Without Permission’s vision is to, like The SAGE Project, Inc., expand its activities past victim advocacy and become the Central Valley’s leading anti-human trafficking non-profit organization. Without Permission and its team members realize that in order to affect larger societal change,it is vital to increase public awareness and provide community members with the tools and knowledge needed to combat issues of sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and trauma.

But more importantly, Without Permission sees the importance in focusing on equipping and educating County Probation, Police, Sheriff and District Attorney Departments in the area of human trafficking. Providing them with national training resources, techniques in addressing victims, visible signs to look for, and key questions to ask during an interview or interrogation will ultimately help our civil servants in recognizing victims and better assist them in escaping those who are forcing them to engage in prostitution. Without Permission means to fulfill said objectives by creating and implementing new training programs and workshops in the immediate area.

Like The SAGE Project, Inc., who employs many rehabilitated victims of human trafficking who sought educational betterment upon rescue, Without Permission hopes to follow their model and ask for willing volunteers from the Women’s Haven in Modesto to share their testimonies and instruct the workshops alongside experts. Without Permission’s own team members, willing and able to volunteer, will also instruct if there is a general lack of volunteers. Instructors will be donating their time, and will be leading workshops on the issue of human trafficking, its inner-workings, how and where Pimps “recruit”, how to recognize a victim, and how to best assist them in finding a way out of the cycle that is permanent.

Without Permission plans to begin a pilot program in the month of February at its main offices in Modesto, to willing local officials, community members, and those who are interested in better working against human trafficking. Classes will be held on Saturdays, 8am to noon, every Saturday during the month of February, and once there is an increased demand in more locations and times from surrounding cities, Without Permission analysts have budgeted the expenses o rent conference rooms in various locales within the immediate radius of the organization.

Timeline

Phase 1 (already completed) will consist of scouting out the locations for the workshops. Many locations offer discounted fees for non-profit organizations hoping to rent out conference or meeting rooms for their events. Locations will be centered in downtown areas of each city, so as to better be accessible to the public.

Phase 2 (one month) will consist of gauging the interest of volunteers from Women’s Haven in Modesto, local support groups for victims of human trafficking, experts on the issue of human trafficking, local social workers knowledgeable of the issue, and Without Permission’s own employees to volunteer their time in providing instructions. Only two (at minimum) will be needed for the pilot program in Modesto, CA, but upon the projected success of the program, more instructors will be needed to provide instructions in other surrounding cities.

Phase 3 (2 months, to simultaneously be initiated during Phase 2) will consist of advertising the workshops, and will continue on throughout the entire lifetime of the workshops (3 years, as currently projected). Without Permission will:

  • Place advertisements in local newspapers and campus publications; on local radio and public broadcasting stations; and on bulletins at local community centers and school campuses
  • Spread workshops through word of mouth, by inviting friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers, and any other connection employees of Without Permission may have
  • Communicate opportunities for community service hours to local courtrooms, civics classes at local high schools, and social workers

Phase 3 (TBD) will consist of renting the locations for the workshops, to be done once instructors have been designated. Applications for facilities have been filled out and funds budgeted for rental fees.

Phase 4 (1 evening) will consist of orientating volunteer instructors to the subject material, so that they may better follow the lesson plans set by Without Permission’s planning board. Debbie Johnson, founder of Without Permission—who has extensive experience in providing presentations to local politicians, community members, officials, youth, and parishioners on the topic of human trafficking—will be present and the one designated to provide the orientation to the instructors.

Phase 5 (1 month) is the time allotted to the pilot program in Modesto, CA.

Phase 6 (1 year) is the time allotted for the first year of the workshops, and after which, will be able to provide an evaluation of the overall success of the program.

Phase 7 (3 years) is the time projected to complete the program and decide on whether the workshops will continue on.

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Evaluation

Qualitative Data

Without Permission expects to see success in its training programs in many different ways, just as The SAGE Project Inc.’s programs in San Francisco, California has seen during its tenure as the Bay Area’s leading anti-human trafficking non-profit organization. Overall, it hopes to see participants increase their knowledge and use new skills that will help the community as a whole better combat human trafficking in the area, as stated in our objectives above. In order to judge our success, a satisfaction and knowledge questionnaire will be distributed at the last workshop. There will also be a pre- and post-course survey, to be distributed on the first and last workshop meeting dates. This evaluation will consist of questions pertaining to the participants’knowledge of human trafficking and ways to assist a victim of the crime, their satisfaction with their instructor, and their satisfaction with how the material was delivered. All questionnaires and surveys will be completely anonymous.

Without Permission believes the best way to gauge the success of the workshops is to see an increased demand for the class and for more diversity in locations and times. The training program will begin its pilot program in Modesto at Without Permission’s main office, but after participants recommend the course to their family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and peers, it is expected that

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Budget

Our current proposed budget would sustain weekly workshops, held every Saturday from 8am to 12pm in various locations in the immediate radius of Without Permission. The approximate cost for this would be $3,000, which includes the fee to rent the conference rooms where the workshops will be held. Although the pilot program will only be held in Without Permission’s main office in Modesto—no charge—analysts employed by the organization have projected expenses for when the program meets success, flourishes, and expands. The success of the project depends greatly on available funding, its ability to expand, and the willingness of experts, past victims, and experienced social workers to volunteer their time to instruct the workshops.

The projected budget allows for a year of weekly workshops, from March 2015 to 2016 (the pilot program in Modesto will be held in the month of February), at every location within a decent radius of Without Permission. The rates for each destination are as follows”

Cities / Locations / Room Capacity / Rental Fees/Hr / Rental Fees/Year / Rental Fees/3 Years
Atwater / Atwater Community Center / 30 / $- / $- / $-
Merced / Merced Women's Clubhouse / 13 / $12.00 / $48.00 / $144.00
Modesto / Without Permission Main Office / 15 / $- / $- / $-
Oakdale / Gene Bianci Community Center / 20 / $28.00 / $112.00 / $336.00
Ripon / Ripon City Hall / 32 / $12.00 / $48.00 / $144.00
Tracy / Tracy Community Center Conference Room A / 25 / $18.00 / $72.00 / $216.00
Turlock / Turlock Public Library / 20 / $13.00 / $52.00 / $156.00
Total / 83 / 996 / 2988

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