2012 Trafficking In Persons Final Report.pdf - NCJTC Home

UNODC, ―Anti-human trafficking manual for criminal justice practitioners‖ (2009).
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime created this highly useful set of modules
to train anyone interested in learning about human trafficking and practices to combat
trafficking. Some modules (e.g. Module 2) provide detailed instructions and suggestions
on recommended methods of identifying areas where trafficking victims may be held and
on safely recovering and rehabilitating those victims.
Women‘s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, ―The U.S. Response to Human
Trafficking: An Unbalanced Approach.‖ (2007)
This study assesses the efficacy of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, concluding
that its current (as of 2007) approach emphasizes prosecution and criminal proceedings to
the detriment of the victims, often granting them little to no protections if they choose not
to or are unable to cooperate with investigations. The authors suggest that a rights-based
approach would remedy the lack of adequate protection and simultaneously have the
potential to increase assistance with law enforcement, suggesting that victims receiving
assistance without a high burden of cooperation may be more likely to cooperate. The
study also finds that the focus on abolishing prostitution may divert resources from the
equally important tasks of immigration and labor reform.
Monitoring, Identification, & Protection of Victims
Banks, Duren & Kyckelhahn, Tracy, U.S. Dep‘t of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of
Justice Statistics, Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents, 2008-2011 (April
2011), available at http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cshti0810.pdf.
Department of Justice statisticians collected and analyzed data from the Human
Trafficking Reporting System. They found that human trafficking task forces funded by
the federal government opened 2515 suspected incidents of human trafficking between
January 2008 and June 2010. This report assesses the characteristics of human trafficking
investigations, including the suspects, victims, and case outcomes.
Bhabha, Jacqueline and Christina Alfirev, ―The Identification and Referral of Trafficked Persons
to Procedures for Determining International Protection Needs‖ (UNHCR 2009).
This study for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees examines
shortcomings in the international protection of trafficked persons, hinging upon three
issues: state mechanisms that make identification of victims difficult; establishing some
form of national referral system to assess needs of trafficked persons, particularly with
respect to international protections and immigration status; and procedures designed with
the particular needs of trafficked children in mind. The study recommends a number of
legal, institutional, and administrative changes in order to provide greater protection
options for trafficked persons.
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