The most recent Human Trafficking Report in California was released recently. Here is an excerpt.
California is a leader in addressing the issues surrounding human trafficking. In February 2005 a report, Freedom Denied: Forced Labor in California, was published by the Human Rights Center at University of California Berkeley. This report focused specifically on the issues of human trafficking in California. In 2005, Assembly Bill 22 (Lieber) and Senate Bill 180 (Kuehl) were enacted and became law January 1, 2006. These bills incorporated the recommendations of the U.C. Berkeley report.
AB 22 added Section 236.1 to the California Penal Code, which establishes human trafficking for forced labor or services as a felony crime punishable by a sentence of 3, 4 or 5 years in state prison and a sentence of 4, 6 or 8 years for trafficking of a minor. The legislation also provides for mandatory restitution and allows trafficking victims to bring a civil action against his or her trafficker. Strict guidelines and timetables are created for the issuance of Law Enforcement Agency Endorsements for trafficking victims. The bill also establishes a statewide task force, the California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery (CA ACTS), to be chaired and administered by the California Attorney General.
Download the full report here. Look here for extensive media reports on slavery in California.
