Kansas

Known as the “Sunflower State,” Kansas became the 34th state in 1861. The state’s name comes from the Kansa or Kaw Indians and is a Sioux Indian term meaning “south wind people.” Within Kansas’s borders is the magnetic center mark for all of North America. All land surveys in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico use this as a reference point. The geographic center of the 48 contiguous (connected) states is located in a Kansas pasture. The native sunflower is the state flower and the capital is Topeka.

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

In Kansas, 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.

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.

 

 

Two Micronesians plead guilty to labor trafficking at JBS Ottumwa plant
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Two Micronesians plead guilty to labor trafficking at JBS Ottumwa plant

The two Micronesian nationals boarded a plane to the United States believing that they would be able to find work there and send money home to their families. But when they landed in Kansas City, Missouri, according to federal prosecutors, they found a different reality. They were able to work at an Iowa meatpacking plant,…

Kansas AG announces grants for Hays-based Options
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Kansas AG announces grants for Hays-based Options

TOPEKA — A Hays organization has been awarded nearly $77,000 in grants to provide services for victims of crime, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced last week. Options: Domestic and Sexual Violence Services Inc., was awarded grants to support the following programs in 18 area counties: $31,970 to provide survivor-centered services to those experiencing domestic…

Nationwide Movement to End Unpaid Prison Labor Tackles the ‘Slavery Loophole’
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Nationwide Movement to End Unpaid Prison Labor Tackles the ‘Slavery Loophole’

Photo by mksfly via Flickr Incarcerated individuals across the country are forced to work for cents on the dollar, with five states, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and Texas, offering no wages, reports the Guardian.  The 13th amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude but contained an exception for “a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have…

Kansas City production company brings attention to human trafficking with premiere of new film
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Kansas City production company brings attention to human trafficking with premiere of new film

Local filmmakers are hoping to bring attention to the harsh realities of human trafficking and its local ties to Kansas City. The film “The Unexpected” premiered at The Bird Theater Sunday night. The film crew is hoping the message from the film will reach a global audience. The whole film was shot in the Kansas…

What’s at stake in the 2022 midterm election? Here’s everything to watch before Election Day.
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What’s at stake in the 2022 midterm election? Here’s everything to watch before Election Day.

Midterm elections: How they work and why they’re important This year’s midterms are the first chance for Americans to grade Joe Biden and congressional Democrats on how they’ve been running the country for the past two years. Typically midterms don’t go well for the party in power, and Democrats are defending razor-thin majorities in Congress, as one-third of…

Finally Gardner moves on motion to vacate wrongful conviction | Political Eye | stlamerican.com
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Finally Gardner moves on motion to vacate wrongful conviction | Political Eye | stlamerican.com

Last week, Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner finally moved forward with filing the necessary pleadings to right the wrongful conviction of Lamar Johnson. Johnson, who was convicted of murder in 1995, has a strong chance to be released under the new law passed by the Missouri Legislature last year.  Under the 2021 law, county prosecutors like Gardner were empowered…

‘A vestige of slavery’: Why advocates are fighting to make prison labor voluntary
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‘A vestige of slavery’: Why advocates are fighting to make prison labor voluntary

Prisoners making license plates is a popular stereotype, but most of the nation’s 800,000 incarcerated workers hold jobs more similar to those on the outside: They cook and serve food, mop floors, mow lawns, and cut hair. Unlike other workers, though, the incarcerated have little say, if any, in what jobs they do. They face…

MBI: 2 people arrested for human trafficking activity in Olive Branch
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MBI: 2 people arrested for human trafficking activity in Olive Branch

© Provided by Action News 5 Memphis From left to right: 26-year-old Darielle Davone Sparks and 62-year-old John Edward Massengill OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. (WMC) – Mississippi Bureau of Investigation led an undercover human trafficking operation in Olive Branch and arrested two people. Darielle Sparks, 26, from Marion Arkansas, was arrested and charged with six counts…

New Missouri public safety legislation to go into effect Sunday, August 28, 2022 | State News – KOMU
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New Missouri public safety legislation to go into effect Sunday, August 28, 2022 | State News – KOMU

Emma Boyle and Erin Martise, KOMU 8 Digital Producers MISSOURI − New Missouri laws enacted by the Missouri General Assembly related to crime and public safety will go into effect Aug. 28. The following includes a compilation of Missouri State Highway Patrol, Department of Public Safety laws. Money Laundering The offense of money laundering must now…

Guardian Group: 2022 Second Quarter Impact Report
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Guardian Group: 2022 Second Quarter Impact Report

Over the last few years, the need for a scalable solution to match the ever-increasing domestic trafficking problem has been in the forefront of our minds. The time has come to make this solution a reality and therefore most of our efforts throughout the last quarter have been focused on completing the development and testing…