Human Trafficking's Dirty Dozen

by Angela Longerbeam · 2010-08-23 07:00:00 UTC
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If you pay any attention to food news, more than likely you’ve heard of the Dirty Dozen, Environmental Working Group’s annual list of conventionally-grown produce containing the highest levels of pesticides. This year, Polaris Project has devised its own Dirty Dozen of American states, the top twelve rotten apples of human trafficking.

Using criteria based on both the presence of human trafficking crimes and the existing legislation used to combat them, Polaris Project has ranked every state in the nation. The Dirty Dozen are those states who either pretty much ignore human trafficking altogether, or employ a very weak approach to their legislation. So, which states have earned this not-so-desirable distinction? Here they are: Hawaii, Massachusetts, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Ohio, South Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia.

    According to Polaris Project’s criteria, these states have failed to do much of anything in the way of human trafficking laws, law enforcement training, victim assistance, civil remedy, and other basic provisions to fight human trafficking. But unlike the Dirty Dozen of produce, they should not be avoided at all costs. Since human traffickers gravitate toward places where they can most easily get away with their crimes, it is especially important for these states to begin addressing the issue. Polaris Project’s map is a great and simple way to see where each of our states stands, and what needs to happen in order to move them all forward.

    Remember, too, that there’s always work to be done in bettering and sustaining the fight against human trafficking. While green states California, Washington, Texas, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Florida should feel pretty good about meeting between 7 and 9 of the 10 criteria, there are only six of them. Looking at the map, there’s a whole lot of orange – states that have only met 3 or 4 recommendations – which is nearly as sad as red. And my own state is included. What color is your state?

    Photo credit: Steve Snodgrass

    Angela Longerbeam is a freelance writer and pop culture addict fighting to end modern-day slavery with an MFA degree and irrepressible snark.
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