Georgia

Known today as the “Peach State,” Georgia, founded in 1733, is one of the original 13 states. It was named in honor of England’s King George II. During the Civil War, the fall of Atlanta was a crucial turning point in the defeat of the South. Today, Atlanta, which became Georgia’s capital in 1868, is a thriving city with major national corporations, and it is considered the economic and cultural center of the Southeast. The state flower is the Cherokee rose.

Human trafficking is a serious issue that affects people all around the world, including in Georgia. It is a form of modern slavery in which individuals are exploited for labor, sexual exploitation, or other purposes.

In Georgia, human trafficking can take many forms, including forced labor, domestic servitude, and sexual exploitation. It often affects vulnerable populations, such as immigrants, children, and people who are homeless or in poverty.

Georgia has been identified as a hub for human trafficking, due in part to its large immigrant population, international airports, and tourist industry. The state has taken steps to address the issue, including passing legislation to strengthen penalties for traffickers and to provide support and services to victims.

If you suspect that someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, there are steps you can take to help. You can report the situation to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or by text at 233733. You can also contact local law enforcement or a trusted organization that provides services to victims of human trafficking. It is important to remember that the safety of the victim should be the top priority and to handle the situation with care and sensitivity.

 

 

Warrants tie North Augusta massage businesses to prostitution, human trafficking
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Warrants tie North Augusta massage businesses to prostitution, human trafficking

Six North Augusta massage businesses searched during an Aug. 16 raid are suspected of allowing — even encouraging — prostitution and commercial sex activities, and they may be involved in human trafficking, according to search warrants. The investigation is ongoing, and the result of the searches is largely redacted from warrants. Each business had the same finding:…

Forced Labor Continues in Colorado, Years After Vote to End Prison Slavery  – Bolts
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Forced Labor Continues in Colorado, Years After Vote to End Prison Slavery  – Bolts

Throughout Abron Arrington’s decades-long incarceration in Colorado, he often found himself in solitary confinement—not because he was causing trouble, but simply because he refused to work. He didn’t see the point given he was paid 13 cents an hour and figured his time could be better spent learning physics. Before Arrington was incarcerated in 1989,…

Lawyer who prosecuted first federal human trafficking case in Georgia to speak at free event
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Lawyer who prosecuted first federal human trafficking case in Georgia to speak at free event

Experts have said that Savannah has an acute sex trafficking problem. Compared to communities of similar size and population, Savannah is a target largely because of the ports, the I-95 corridor and the tourism industry, in addition to relatively close proximity to major sex trafficking hubs, such as Miami, Atlanta and Tampa. On Sept. 20,…

Free Counter Sex Trafficking Resources for Law Enforcement – Guardian Group
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Free Counter Sex Trafficking Resources for Law Enforcement – Guardian Group

The UN recently did a study and found that 27.6 million victims of trafficking exist across the globe, yet governments across the country only identified 115,324 victims [1]. This is less than half of 1 percent of victims being identified. “Without effective victim identification, governments cannot hold traffickers accountable, and people of goodwill cannot offer tailored,…

Florida keeps using unpaid prison labor to prepare for hurricanes
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Florida keeps using unpaid prison labor to prepare for hurricanes

  As Floridians prepared for Hurricane Idalia to make landfall on the upper central coast earlier this week, several counties deployed unpaid prison labor, as they have in the past, to fill the sandbags used to prevent flood damage. At least four counties — including Lake County, Polk County, Taylor County and Flagler County — relied on…

It’s Nearly Labor Day, and Congress Has a Chance to Abolish Prison Slavery
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It’s Nearly Labor Day, and Congress Has a Chance to Abolish Prison Slavery

Johnny Perez was arrested and incarcerated two days after his daughter was born, a heart-wrenching fact by itself. Perez wanted to be there for his daughter, but he was stuck at a state prison in Coxsackie, New York. He worked hard to save money, but his prison job sewing bed sheets started at 17 cents…

FBI, Homeland Security discuss efforts to fight human trafficking
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FBI, Homeland Security discuss efforts to fight human trafficking

Human sex trafficking isn’t what most people think it is, according to FBI Special Agent Taylor Dervish. Dervish, who is assigned to the Atlanta Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, spoke Tuesday to a joint meeting of the Carpet Capital Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Dalton. “The task force is the largest in…

‘There is slavery in the fields of North Carolina’
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‘There is slavery in the fields of North Carolina’

I’ll never forget something that advocate and former farmworker Leticia Zavala said to me during an interview. “There is slavery in the fields of North Carolina.” She said it almost in passing, as part of a larger laundry list of abusive and deadly conditions experienced by farmworkers in the state as part of the H-2A…

Lawrenceville Police Department to offer human trafficking training classes
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Lawrenceville Police Department to offer human trafficking training classes

The Lawrenceville Police Department will partner with Street Grace and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to provide the community and law enforcement officers the opportunity to take a human trafficking training class on August 8 or August 15. According to a social media post from the department, the class will focus on signs of Human…

Chattanooga participates in Red Sand Project for human trafficking awareness – WDEF
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Chattanooga participates in Red Sand Project for human trafficking awareness – WDEF

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — It’s Human Trafficking Awareness Week and Chattanooga is participating in the Red Sand Project to bring awareness. During Red Sand events, participants fill sidewalks with red sand to represent those involved in human trafficking, modern day slavery and exploitation. “So, today we were hosting the red sands events, to bring awareness…