Georgia’s commitment to fight human trafficking is getting attention nationwide. Shared Hope International, a human trafficking victim advocacy group that issues annual report cards on state laws directed at fighting human trafficking, recently gave Georgia an “A” for the state’s anti-human trafficking efforts.
The group also commended the work of statewide public, private and non-profit partners and scored Georgia with a near-perfect 96 out of a possible 102.5 points — ranking the state’s efforts among the top five out of all 50 states. Georgia received a “C” on the first report card in 2011 and scored a “B” in 2018.
“We in Georgia believe that one victim of human trafficking is one too many, and the ‘A’ rating that we received this year is the culmination of a years-long commitment to addressing the problem head on,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, who celebrated the announcement Monday. “I want to thank the many elected officials who helped Georgia to achieve this top score – including Governors Nathan Deal and Brian Kemp, former Attorneys General Thurbert Baker and Sam Olens and many dedicated members of the Georgia General Assembly.
“We must continue to do all we can to stop the spread of this crime in our state and nation, and our new Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit will stand shoulder to shoulder with First Lady of Georgia Marty Kemp’s GRACE Commission, law enforcement officials and our many private sector and non-profit partners to carry out that mission,” Carr continued.
The annual report card reviewed several aspects of Georgia’s state law, including the following categories:
● Criminalization of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking
● Criminal Provisions for Demand Criminal Provisions for Traffickers
● Criminal Provisions for Facilitators
● Protective Provisions for the Child Victims
● Criminal Justice Tools for Investigation and Prosecution
Georgia received a perfect score in the following categories:
● Criminalization of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking
● Criminal Provisions for Traffickers
And, Georgia received a near-perfect score in the following categories:
● Criminal Provisions for Demand
● Protective Provisions for Child Victims
● Criminal Justice Tools for Investigation and Prosecution
“I am proud of the work Georgia has done to earn this ranking,” said First Lady Marty Kemp. “While this recognition is a major accomplishment for our state, our work is not finished. We will continue the fight to dismantle this criminal enterprise and restore the lives of the countless victims. We will not stop until the last victim is rescued – because one person trapped in the shadows is one too many.”
Soon after Governor Brian Kemp took office in January, First Lady Kemp announced the creation of the GRACE Commission — a new initiative aimed at combating human trafficking in the state and giving victims a voice. Kemp co-chairs the commission with GBI Director Vic Reynolds and Speaker Pro-Tempore Jan Jones.
Recently, First Lady Kemp joined GRACE Commission members, U.S. Department of Justice officials, Carr, and U.S. Attorneys BJay Pak and Charles Peeler to announce over $153 million in grant funding to give Georgia more tools to fight human trafficking and provide more support and resources to victims of these crimes, The grant awards are designed to support a wide range of activities across the state, including $4.3 million which will be used to assist law enforcement officials and victim service providers in prosecuting human traffickers and aiding survivors.
“This ranking is a direct result of the hard work of our First Lady, the GRACE Commission, Attorney General Chris Carr, the General Assembly, law enforcement, and non-profit organizations,” said Governor Kemp. “We have been working hard over the past year to raise awareness, strengthen our laws, heal victims, and take these criminals off our streets, and we look forward to continuing the fight to end this evil industry.”
