By Jordan Burgan
Human trafficking, sometimes referred to as ‘modern slavery,’ is defined by the Virginia Attorney General’s Office as the, “recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purposes of commercial sex acts or labor services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.” What most individuals do not realize (including myself, until recently), is that although many victims may escape from their traffickers, their recovery is a long and difficult journey that is often hindered by convictions for crimes that were solely the result of their human trafficking.
When I first began working for the Center of Global Justice, I discovered the harsh reality that when human trafficking victims are rescued from their captors, most survivors are still not completely free. These survivors have difficulty moving on from the past as a result of their criminal conviction record. These records reflect crimes they were forced to commit while being a victim of human trafficking. Although most states have private or even state-funded programs to help human trafficking victims transition back into society, their criminal record make it more difficult to find substantial employment, obtain safe housing, and education.
This past year, I have had the privilege of researching and comparing human trafficking diversion courts and programs, vacatur laws, and standards of proof for human trafficking victims in the United States. I have discovered that Virginia’s human trafficking laws allow for limited, minor crimes to be vacated from victims’ records, and more can be done to help these victims. Expanding the crimes encompassed by the vacatur law and implementing diversion programs throughout the state would have an even more positive effect on the lives of these victims.
Jordan Burgan, Law Clerk, Center for Global Justice
I am thankful that the Center for Global Justice has allowed me to play a small part in helping expand human trafficking laws in this state, which will ultimately allow its victims to fully regain their human rights.
This post was written by a student at Regent University School of Law. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School, or the Center for Global Justice.