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Human trafficking workshop raises awareness, lays groundwork for action

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By Maureen Smith
JACKSON – More than 70 people gathered at Christ United Methodist Church on Saturday, April 9, for a one-day conference on human trafficking with a focus on Mississippi and the Jackson area. The event brought together law enforcement personnel, teachers, clinicians, childcare and non-profit workers and concerned people. Two presenters spoke about how to recognize trafficking and how to help the victims and local organizations shared what they are doing to address the issue.

Almost 80 people attended a one-day human trafficking workshop at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson. Organizers hope to use the awareness to spur action on the issue (Photos courtesy of Debb Tubbs)

Almost 80 people attended a one-day human trafficking workshop at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson. Organizers hope to use the awareness to spur action on the issue (Photos courtesy of Debb Tubbs)

Debb Tubb, communications director for Christ United Methodist Church, attended an awareness gathering last year called “Not in my city, not in my state.” “After I heard the stories I just had to ask myself, what is the next step?” She started speaking with Courtney Layson, the counselor on staff at the church, and they came up with this workshop in partnership with several other organizations. Ashleee Lucas, a representative from Shared Hope International, partnered with the church to identify speakers.
Last year, Belhaven University conducted a rapid assessment of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) in Rankin, Hinds, Madison and Warren counties. The report found that while awareness of this issue is on the rise, there is a tremendous amount of work to be done. “The consensus is that central Mississippi is not equipped to care for victims of child trafficking. There are no shelters that specialize in the needs of DMST victims. Many victims slip through the cracks or are mislabeled as juvenile delinquents because some first responders do not recognize the profile of a DMST victim,” reads the introduction.
The report goes on to explain that the most common kind of trafficking found in Mississippi is perpetrated within families – with relatives offering children to predators in exchange for drugs, money or goods. In some cases the victims are charged with crimes rather than being protected or rescued from their situations. Awareness within the community, training first responders, laws that specifically protect and address this issue and funding for treatment and training are all needed, according to the report.
People who attended the conference heard from Elizabeth Scaife, director of Shared Hope International, and Dr. Rebecca Johnson, of International Justice Mission. Sessions included training on profiling traffickers and victims, understanding the trauma the victims undergo “with our heads and our hearts,” gang trafficking and trauma care for victims. Local organizations involved in starting to address this problem were also on hand. A couple from Crossgates Baptist Church talked about their effort, Ministry 639, which offers care-package backpacks to suspected victims and tries to offer them resources.
Tubb said she was surprised about some of what she has learned about trafficking. “Just for me it was disturbing to learn that during the golf tournament that brought so many people to town the ‘back pages’ ads spiked,” she said. Back pages are websites known for offering prostitutes, often minors. “When events bring people to the area – how can we respond to that?” asked Tubb. The Belhaven report backs up that data. “…the face of prostitution and commercial sex is changing with technology. Many websites allow facilitators to advertise without ever walking the streets. Law enforcement identified the Internet as the main source for locating victims,” says the study.
Tubbs also learned that the profile of the “john” or customer is not what many people have in mind. “It’s not just what you might think of as a ‘sleazy hotel,’ it can happen at nice hotels and conference centers. White collar professionals feed money into the industry,” she said. Training law enforcement and supporting prosecution for the customers can help as well as offering treatment for men with pornography and sex addictions.
The workshop was just the start of raising awareness. “We have identified people interested in this ministry,” said Tubb. The next step is to process what they heard and have a follow-up meeting. “Anyone who wants to partner in this is welcome,” she said. Those interested can contact Christ United Methodist Church at 601.956.6974
Read the Belhaven Rapid Assessment online, http://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/MS-Rapid-Assessment-22715.pdf.
(Editor’s note: April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month. Mississippi Catholic will feature abuse awareness and prevention stories in each issue this month.)

Workshop addresses violence of human trafficking

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This photo illustration depicts the effects of human trafficking. (CNS illustration/Lisa Johnston, St. Louis Review)

By Maureen Smith
A new task force in the Diocese of Jackson is taking on the issue of human trafficking in America. The effort was started by Sister Therese Jacobs, BVM. Her order, the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, picked this urgent issue as one of its key social justice initiatives in 2014. She helped organize a workshop held at Jackson St. Richard Parish on Saturday, June 27.
Catholic Charities has developed the task force to take next steps to address the problem. A faith-based group out of Biloxi, Advocates for Freedom, provided speakers for the human trafficking workshop. Members of the task force also made presentations. Dorothy Balser, director of parish based ministries for Catholic Charities Jackson, said close to 50 people attended the workshop. “At the end we had pledge cards that gave people an opportunity to make a commitment to the effort,” said Balser. “They could request a speaker, host an informational event, form their own local task force if they were from out of town or join our task force,” she added. People were also invited to pray for the victims of human trafficking.
According to the Sisters of Charity website, “Trafficking of human persons is the buying and selling of people for any purpose, including sex, prostitution, forced marriages, servitude and forced labor. Trafficking is exploitation and a violation of human rights and human dignity and is intrinsically evil.”
Sex trafficking is the most common. “One statistic that stands out is that human trafficking is the second most prevalent crime, second only to drugs,” she said. “The picture that is before me is that you sell a drug once, but human beings can be sold multiple times a day – sometimes 20 times a day,” she said.
Sharon Robbins, one of the speakers from Advocates for Freedom said she became involved when she noticed strange activity in her own gated community. She came into contact with the founder of Advocates for Freedom when she was trying to figure out what to do about the groups of young girls being loaded into a van late at night. The information she was able to gather led law enforcement to open an investigation and take action.
Robbins urges everyone to pay attention to their surroundings, saying many people would be shocked at some of the cases happening very close to home. She said she has personally heard of stories of trafficking, even trafficking involving children, in Mississippi. She said acting on an uneasy feeling or reporting suspicious activities could save someone’s life.
Robbins said Advocates for Freedom has assisted in more than 100 rescues since it was founded five years ago and is always looking for volunteers. The group tries to help survivors immediately find a safe place to take shelter and later tries to assist with medical and legal fees as well as housing and job assistance.
“Eighty-five percent of missing children are being trafficked,” she said. She focused her presentation on tactics traffickers use to lure children who might already be in abusive situation, young people with low self-esteem or who might be shy and lonely.  Advocates for Freedom has more statistics and contact information on the organization’s website, www.advocatesforfreedom.org.
“It is happening in Mississippi and we are trying to  make sure those who are the most vulnerable are identified and targeted,” Balser explained. The task force wants to make people aware of the issue, engage law enforcement and advocate for the victims.
She said the workshop presenters said travel corridors are common sites for trafficking, especially in places where there may be a port or the intersection of two interstates. Traffickers lure young people, especially young women, through social media or they find runaways and promise them a better life.
Balser said once the group is able to identify potential victims, the task force will take on the role of identifying resources for them. “We don’t currently have safe houses. We need to identify resources and potential partners,” said Balser.
Anyone interested in joining the task force or getting involved in the effort can contact Balser, 601-355-8634, or by email at dorothy.balser@ccjackson.org.