Human Trafficking briefs bill signed into law

Thelma Sardin |

The thought of human trafficking evokes images of women working as prostitutes in lands half way across the world. Now more than ever, the problem is growing, where incidents involving trafficking are washing up on American shores.

Trafficking for prostitution is the third most profitable criminal activity in the world.

Described as a form for modern-day slavery by the . U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nationally, recruitment comes from strip clubs, street-based prostitution, escort services and brothels. Domestic sex traffickers [pimps] target homeless youth where prostitution can start as early as 12-13 years old in the U.S., according to the Polaris Project, one of the largest anti-trafficking organizations in the world.

In Illinois, elected officials are tackling human trafficking by pushing legislation to help law

enforcement prosecute offenders with tougher penalties that protect victims. State Sen. Jacqueline Collins (D-Chicago) recently sponsored House Bill 6462 which was signed into law

on Aug. 20 by Gov. Quinn. There is no place in civilized society for this type of behavior, Collins said in a recent press release.

The new law poses higher penalties for several prostitution related and trafficking crimes.

These offenses include keeping a place of prostitution, patronizing a prostitute, soliciting sexual acts, pimping, and exploiting a child, according to the release.

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) cites, In a 2003 New York Times article, Chicago was identified as a national hub for human trafficking. The citys location in reference to highways and access to several transportation modes provide an optimum choice for

traffickers and enables them to exploit vulnerable women and children.

Under the Illinois anti-trafficking legislation, there have not been any prosecutions to

date according to the IDHS. Offenders were not prosecuted under this legislation because cases

relied on statements from victims. Testimony was hard to gain because, victims were traumatized from prostitution and generally scared of the people charged, said Andy Conklin, Cook County States Attorney spokesperson. Conklin added, That is why States Attorney [Anita] Alvarez worked to have the law changed.

State Sen. Collins partnered with the Cook County States Attorneys Office to create the

legislation. Collins found it important to sponsor the bill and recognized the need to curtail this

type of criminal activity. Its a human issue, that affects more than just the Black community, she said. Its a problem that, endangers the well-being of any community, she added.

On a global perspective, Countries in war torn regions or facing natural disasters are more

vulnerable to human trafficking, said Collins. After facing a devastating earthquake earlier this

year, Haiti is still struggling to pick up the pieces. Unfortunately, sometimes children are forced into a life of servitude unbeknownst to their parents original intentions. In regards to parents

who give their children away, Parents think they are sending their children to a better life, said

Collins.

Since the United States is a destination and transit country, the problems is growing in

America according to Amnesty International USA. Unfortunately, the U.S. becomes a trafficking

hub because of resources in this country and activities in American cities. The U.S. State

Department estimates that 600,000 - 800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across

international borders each year and approximately 14,500 17,500 of them are trafficked

into the U.S. annually. Based on estimates by the U.S. government of the numbers of all trafficking victims and comparing those figures with widely cited figures of foreign-born children in the sex trade in the United States, USCCB/ MRS estimates conservatively about one-third of foreign born victims trafficked into the country are children.

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