BOSTON—Attorney General Martha Coakley is pressing lawmakers on an initiative to crack down on human trafficking in Massachusetts.
On Tuesday, Coakley joins Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley at a Statehouse press conference to highlight the measure.
Coakley has filed a bill that would establish the state-level crimes of human trafficking in labor and sex and create an Attorney General-led task force to study the illegal trade. The bill also increases the penalties for so-called "Johns" to address the demand side of human trafficking. Massachusetts is one of four states without a state crime of human trafficking on the books.
Conley backs separate legislation designed to shift the focus from prosecuting teens involved in the sex trade to giving them the services they need to escape prostitution.
Massachusetts is one of the few states in the U.S. without a single state law making human trafficking a crime. But after years of watching proposed laws fizzle and die in the state legislature, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is championing a bill that would provide critical services to victims and help local law enforcement put traffickers behind bars. Change.org caught up with Attorney General Coakley and interviewed her about human trafficking in Massachusetts and the Change.org campaign supporting her bill that over 1,000 members have signed.
Kloer: Why is human trafficking in Massachusetts an important issue to you?
Attorney General Coakley: As Chief of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Child Abuse Unit and then as Middlesex District Attorney, I have seen the damage sexual abuse can have on its victims. I also have seen the ways in which perpetrators groom and manipulate their young victims for further abuse. This process puts children at high risk for continued abuse through commercial sexual exploitation and entry into “the life”. In my work as Attorney General enforcing our civil rights and wage and hour laws, I also have seen the wide array of people from different backgrounds who are at risk of being exploited for someone else’s monetary gain. This is unacceptable in the 21st Century. We must work to end this exploitation, protect victims, and hold those who engage in this type of behavior accountable.
Kloer: Massachusetts is currently one of the few states without specific state laws that criminalize human trafficking. Why hasn't there been legislation on the books yet?
AG Coakley: It’s disappointing that Massachusetts is one of the last states to criminalize human trafficking, and that is why we are working so hard to fix that. Human trafficking is not just a federal issue, and we need strong state laws so that we can protect victims here on a local level. It will also help us work with our federal partners more effectively to achieve justice for victims of these horrific crimes.
Kloer: How will this new bill help prevent human trafficking in Massachusetts?
AG Coakley: We know the best way to address trafficking is by addressing all three aspects of the problem. We need to hold those who traffic or benefit from the exploitation of people for profit accountable, develop services and a response for the victims, and address the demand for these services that creates a marketplace in which traffickers can prosper. We’ve proposed two felonies to hold perpetrators responsible their activities. We’ve proposed increases in penalties for those who purchase men and women in the sex trade and create the demand from which pimps and traffickers profit. Those penalties include mandatory minimum sentences for repeat offenders and higher sentences when children are victims. Finally, we are proposing a task force to bring stakeholders together to share information and develop multidisciplinary responses to the issue and support for victims.
Kloer: If passed, this proposed bill would become one of the strongest state anti-trafficking laws in the country. How were the different components of the law developed?
AG Coakley: We are grateful for the significant interest and support this legislation has received from legislators, advocates, and public safety professionals. This bill has strong support in our legislature, starting with the lead sponsors of the bill, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Eugene O’Flaherty and Senator Mark Montigny. In addition, we have received the support of a wide array of stakeholders including all 11 District Attorneys, local and state law enforcement agencies, labor unions, and victim advocates. It is because of the cooperation of all of these stakeholders that we have been able to put together such a strong bill. It is also why I am confident that we will get this bill passed so that we can join the 45 other states who have anti-human trafficking laws.
Kloer: Over 1,000 Change.org members have sent letters to the Massachusetts legislature in support of an anti-trafficking law. What message would you give to them and other grassroots supporters of the bill?
AG Coakley: First, a sincere thank you. You are helping bring about important change to protect victims of exploitation in Massachusetts. Second, I can promise that we’re not going to stop working until we get this bill passed so that we can better protect victims of these heinous crimes.
Attorney General Coakley left Change.org members and Massachusetts residents this final message,
"We are truly thankful for the work and support folks have already provided, but we still need your help. We ask everyone to continue to stay involved, contact your legislators, and work with us to get this important bill passed. Your support will truly make a difference, and we are not going to stop working until we get this done. Thank you once again."
Support Attorney General Coakley's efforts to fight human trafficking in Massachusetts by asking the state legislature to pass the proposed bill and make human trafficking a crime.
Photo credit: Martha Coakley
Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic
