Department of Justice pours $101 million into fight against human trafficking

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced recently it has awarded nearly $101 million, through the department’s Office of Justice programs, in funding to combat human trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking victims throughout the United States.

“The scourge of human trafficking is the modern-day equivalent of slavery, brutally depriving victims of basic human rights and essential physical needs as it erodes their sense of dignity and self-worth,” Attorney General William Barr said in a news release. “The Department of Justice is relentless in its fight against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Working with state and local law enforcement and community victim service providers, we will continue to bring these criminals to justice and deliver critical aid to survivors.”

The Office for Victims of Crime awarded more than $97.4 million to state, local and tribal jurisdictions, service providers and task forces all over the country, while OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded the remaining $3.5 million to support research and evaluation on human trafficking.

“Human trafficking is a massive global enterprise with roots in cities and communities here in America and across the world,” OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan said. “The Office of Justice programs is using all the resources at its disposal to help our state, local and tribal partners uncover and eradicate trafficking operations and help victims open the door to a new life.”

Grants awarded under Fiscal Year 2020 OVC programs aim to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to survivors of human trafficking. Specific programs include:

♦ The Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking program awards more than $22.7 million total. OVC awards more than $17.7 million to 27 programs to support the effectiveness of collaborative and multidisciplinary task forces to combat human trafficking. The purpose of this program is to develop and strengthen programs for victims of human trafficking, including enhancing the capacity of law enforcement and other stakeholders to identify victims and provide justice for those victims through the investigation and prosecution of their traffickers.

♦ The Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards more than $35.1 million total to 73 organizations to provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grants will also provide funding to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment and receive occupational training and counseling.

♦ The Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking program awards more than $4.2 million total to four recipients to integrate human trafficking policy and programming at the state or tribal level. This program will enhance coordinated, multidisciplinary and statewide approaches to at-risk populations to improve outcomes for children and youth who are victims of human trafficking.

♦ The Preventing Trafficking of Girls program awards $1.8 million total to four organizations, including a training and technical assistance provider, to support prevention and early intervention services, including mentoring and other direct support services for girls who are at risk of or are victims of sex trafficking.

♦ The Services for Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking program gives more than $6.8 million to four recipients to develop, expand and strengthen assistance programs for minor victims of sex trafficking. Under this program, the funded states, tribes, and units of local government will provide (directly and through partnerships) an array of services that minor victims of human trafficking often require to address their need for safety, security and healing.

♦ The Services for Minor Victims of Labor Trafficking program awards nearly $2 million total to three organizations to develop, expand or strengthen victim service programs for minor victims of labor trafficking whose victimization occurred when they were under the age of 18.

♦ The Services for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards more than $23.6 million to 43 organizations to support services specific to victims of human trafficking.

♦ The Specialized Training and Technical Assistance on Housing for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards $643,163 total to deliver specialized training and technical assistance to victim service organizations to enhance their ability to provide appropriate housing for victims of human trafficking.

♦ OVC awards the Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Project continuation funding in the amount of $300,000 to increase access to quality educational and employment opportunities for survivors of human trafficking.

Grants awarded under FY 2020 NIJ programs aim to understand law enforcement practices with regard to preventing and responding to victims of trafficking. These specific programs include:

♦ The Research and Evaluation of Trafficking in Persons program awards more than $2.5 million total to four organizations to build upon research and evaluation efforts to better understand, prevent and respond to trafficking in persons in the United States.

♦ The Research on Law Enforcement Responses to Sex Trafficking of Minors program awards nearly $1 million to understand how law enforcement practices with regard to preventing and responding to the sex trafficking of minors have evolved since passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. NIJ was specifically interested in understanding how widely law enforcement agencies have adopted practices based on the perspective that the minor is a victim rather than a delinquent and the challenges that agencies have faced in adopting such practices.

For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit >https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/ovchumantraffickingfactsheet.pdf<. More information about OJP and its components can be found at >www.ojp.gov<.