The following organizations rescue youth and women who have been coerced or kidnapped into the commercial sex industry in LA County, then assist with healing, social and legal services, and training for new work.
10 Ways to Protect Yourself from Human Trafficking
Restoration Diversion Services, Compton, CA
click here!Gems Uncovered, Long Beach, CA
click here!Journey Out (formerly the Mary Magdelene Project), Hollywood, CA
click here!
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This organization focuses on rescuing garment and factory workers, domestics and nannies, nail salonists, agricultural workers and others who are trafficked into L.A. country from around the world, then kept in debt bondage or slave conditions. CAST then provides comprehensive long-term services through a three-pronged empowerment approach which includes social services, legal services, outreach and training.
CAST-Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
CAST focuses on rescuing garment and factory workers, domestics, nannies, nail salonists agricultural workers and others who are kept in debt bondage or slavery. CAST then provides comprehensive long-term services through a three-pronged empowerment approach which includes Social Services, Legal Services, and Outreach and Training.
click here!
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Local, national, and international toy, tech, textile and manufacturing companies of all stripes hide their involvement with child labor, exploitative working conditions and slave labor. What can we do? Become socially conscious shoppers.
Free2Work grades a brands’ efforts to ensure fair labor practices.
click here!
If we work for international companies, we can campaign internally to ensure they follow requirements outlined in;
California Transparency in Supply Chains / Resource Guide, by Attorney General Kamal Harris, c2015.
click here!
We can learn more from
Free the Slaves (International Organization)
click here!
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High School students and families:
Write your Representatives about legal advocacy related to trafficking
The US Congress has an upper chamber called the Senate and a lower chamber called the House of Representatives which share the responsibilities of the legislative process to create bills which can become law.
What is a bill and how does it become law? Below, for example, the H.R. in H.R. 469, means this is a House of Representatives bill in the United States Congress. A bill must be passed by both the House and Senate in identical form, and then signed by the President to become law.
STEP 1. It’s easy to find out who your representatives are, in both the Senate and House of Representatives, on Tracking the United States Congress website at this link: https://www.govtrack.us/start
STEP 2. Sample email letter to a Representative, who serves in the House of Representative – there are 53 from California:
Subject line: Resident/Voter in Dist. 37-California-supports anti-trafficking initiatives
Dear Representative Bass,
I wholly support your legislative initiatives to end human trafficking, including the current H.R 469 Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015 – which amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to condition eligibility to receive a state grant for child abuse or neglect prevention and treatment programs. I’m glad to hear that this passed in the House of Representatives this year. Congratulations! I have written to our California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer asking that they support this bill in the Senate.
I live and vote in your 37th Congressional District in Los Angeles.
Sincerely….moved by your commitment,
Jerri Allyn
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STEP 2. Sample email letter to a Senator-there are 2 from California, Feinstein and Boxer:
Subject line: CA Resident/Voter-Please support HR 469 anti-trafficking initiative
Dear Senator Feinstein,
Congratulations on the passage of Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act on April 22, 2015! Thanks to you and Rob Portman for ushering that through. Please also support H.R 469 Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015 by House of Representative Karen Bass. I am a registered voter who lives in Bass’s 37th Congressional District in LA.
Sincerely….moved by your commitment,
Angels Gate High School students and the Artists Team
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Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 – H.R. 181
Representative Ted Poe [R-TX-2].
Staff contact: Blair.Bjellos@mail.house.gov(link sends e-mail)
Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to eligible state and local governments to develop, improve, or expand comprehensive domestic child trafficking deterrence programs that assist law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judicial officials, and qualified victims’ services organizations in collaborating to rescue and restore the lives of trafficking victims, while investigating and prosecuting offenses involving child human trafficking.
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Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act of 2015 (H.R.159 (link is external))
Representative Erik Paulsen [R-MN-3]
Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Attorney General to give preferential consideration in awarding Community Oriented Police Services grants to an application from an applicant in a state that has in effect a law that: (1) treats a minor who has engaged in, or has attempted to engage in, a commercial sex act as a victim of a severe form of trafficking in persons; (2) discourages the charging or prosecution of such individual for a prostitution or sex trafficking offense based on such conduct; and (3) encourages the diversion of such an individual to appropriate service providers, including child welfare services, victim treatment programs, child advocacy centers, rape crisis centers, or other social services.