March 11th will mark exactly 2 months since Ohio observed Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
It will mark 1 month since Ohio Attorney General Cordray’s Trafficking in Person Study Commission published the Report on the Prevalence of Human Trafficking in Ohio, the first study of its kind.
March 11th is the day we will keep the issue of human trafficking fresh in the minds of our politicians, by sending them an email blast to ensure they know we’re still paying attention!
On March 2nd, 26 of 33 senators stepped up alongside Sen. Fedor to sponsor S.B. 235. I am confident our last email blast may have had something to do with that. Thank you!
S.B. 235 will allow Ohio to join the other 43 states that have made human trafficking a stand-alone felony under their state laws; it’s time for Ohio to address it’s rampant human trafficking problem by empowering local law enforcement with a state law instead of continually pushing these cases onto the FBI, scrambling to find some other crime to prosecute traffickers under, or ignoring these cases entirely.
As S.B. 235 enters the Criminal Justice Committee of the Ohio Senate, it enters a critical stage in the editing and amendment process. Encourage your senators to continue supporting the bill by keeping it strong and comprehensive!
Find your Senator http://www.ohiosenate.gov/directory.html
———Sample Message Below————
Dear (Legislator’s Name),
As your constituent, I am writing to express my unequivocal support for the creation of a Human Trafficking felony in the Ohio Revised Code. You have the opportunity to be a champion for vulnerable children by ensuring that S.B. 235 maintains strong, comprehensive language throughout the editing and amendment process.
Ohio must catch up to the 43 other states, which already have language in-line with the federal definition of human trafficking. The Columbus Dispatch recently reported that human trafficking is a rapidly growing and underreported problem affecting both inner cities and affluent suburbs in Ohio. [1] A new report released by a sub-committee of the Trafficking in Persons Study Commission estimated that over 1000 Ohio children are trafficked within our borders each year for the purpose of sex. It further reported that another 2,879 children are at-risk for being trafficked because of their vulnerable status as runaways, throwaways or due to homelessness. [2] According to a Rand Corporation report, Ohio has an alarmingly high number of child sex trafficking cases. [3]
You have the power to make positive change in the lives of vulnerable children through legislation. S.B. 235 will create a second-degree felony for this horrendous crime against Ohio’s children. Law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and victim’s advocates agree – Ohio badly needs stronger laws addressing human trafficking. Experts universally expressed this sentiment during the 1st Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day at the Statehouse in January. [ http://www.youtube.com/user/OhioSenateDemocrats#p/u/0/bDTljdyX-pg ].
S.B. 235 needs to remain in-line with the federal and Department of Justice’s definition of human trafficking, which has proven an effective tool for federal law enforcement. Uncovering and prosecuting cases of human trafficking is a priority for the federal government and is considered a high level crime. To date, the federal Innocence Lost Initiative has netted convictions of over 500 traffickers and rescued over 900 child victims of human trafficking. [4]
Will you be a champion for vulnerable children? If so, ensure that S.B. 235 mirrors the federal definition of human trafficking and maintains its current strength. I hope to see S.B. 235 become stronger and clearer throughout the amendment process, not weaker and more ineffective. I trust you, as my representative, to make sure Ohio’s laws protect Ohio’s children.
Thank you.
(Your Name)
(Your Email)
(Your Hometown)
