Monday, January 15, 2007

Stop the Traffic

From my weekly (AM) radio segment titled "Legal Minute".


Human Trafficking is a crime that offends all of humanity and all countries must do their part to stop it. If you don’t know what it means, it means just what you would think- the forced sale of human beings into slavery or servitude, most commonly, as prostitutes, many of whom are children. Only weeks ago, President Bush signed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act in response to the issue. The Act, in its basic form, has been in effect since 2000. Prior to that, no federal law existed to protect trafficking victims and prosecute their traffickers. The new version of the law, however, expands the scope of the act to incorporate more resources for victims. In addition, the new law grants funds for state and local law enforcement agencies for the investigation and prosecution of human traffickers. On the international front, the United Nations established the a global program designed to assist member states in their efforts to combat human trafficking. If you think you have come in contact with a victim, stop the traffic by contacting the Trafficking Information and Referral Hotline.