The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office held a human trafficking prevention presentation on Friday at the West County Detention Facility in Richmond.
The event targeted female incarcerated persons, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees. In all, there were 30 women in attendance. The presentation was an opportunity to educate incarcerated persons about the crime of human trafficking and to provide some available resources to them. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in a question and answer session on human trafficking.
Victim Advocates from the DA’s Office told the group that many victims of human labor trafficking do not identify themselves as victims. Some telltale signs of human trafficking include having your travel documents taken by your employer, being threatened or forced, working long hours and receiving little or no wages, living in poor conditions, and having your liberty deprived. Human trafficking falls under section 236.1 of the California Penal Code.
There are protections and programs in place for victims of human trafficking. For more information and resources, visit contracostaalliance.org for the Contra Costa Alliance or – http://www.cocofamilyjustice.org for the Family Justice Center.
