Block human trafficking bill would spare victims trauma and speed prosecution

Posted on Feb 06 by editor

 

SACRAMENTO – Senator Marty Block (SD-39) recently introduced legislation, SB 939, which would streamline prosecution of human trafficking charges and help victims avoid the trauma of testifying in multiple jurisdictions against their traffickers.

 

SB 939 would permit the consolidation of serial human trafficking, pimping, and pandering charges into a single trial if all the involved jurisdictions agree. Frequently, victims are taken to multiple cities and counties for labor and commercial sex exploitation. Prosecution involves trials in each of the multiple locations where the crimes occurred. Current law allows for the consolidation of other serial sexual offenses occurring in multiple jurisdictions.

 

“Human trafficking is among the most despicable and odious of crimes because traffickers treat victims as property to be used and sold,” Block said. “SB 939 will save money for our court system and will eliminate the need for victims, witnesses, and defendants to travel to multiple counties to testify in court proceedings. Currently, victims must travel to each jurisdiction where the crimes occurred and testify multiple times in front of their traffickers. Multiple trials only repeat the trauma.”

 

While in the Assembly, Block successfully authored a measure to help stem human trafficking,  AB 2212, which allows local law enforcement to shut down sites engaged in human trafficking as a per se nuisance. It also allows financial penalties to be levied against the property owners of the sites to help fund programs for victims. Last year, he introduced SB 473 which would add human trafficking to the list of crimes used to define a criminal street gang under the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act to ensure that the prosecution and punishment of gang members exploiting human lives is comparable to the prosecution of gang members engaged in robbery and narcotic sales.

 

SB 939 is co-sponsored by the District Attorneys of Riverside, San Diego, Alameda and Orange Counties.

 

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BILL TO PROTECT CHILDREN

Posted on May 10 by editor

Bill to Protect Sexually Exploited Children Moves Forward

SB 738 to keep exploited children out of juvenile detention

SACRAMENTO – Today, the Senate Human Services Committee voted 6-0 in favor of Senate Bill (SB) 738, to protect commercially sexually exploited children from being wrongfully imprisoned.

Currently, when law enforcement encounters children forced into prostitution, they are arrested despite being under the age of consent. This often results in children being put onto juvenile probation or into juvenile detention.

“Children who are sexually exploited for money are victims” said author Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) “They should not be treated like criminals.”

A review of 267 cases of commercially sexually exploited children in Alameda County found that, 41% of the children had been in foster care, while 67% had been in juvenile probation.

SB 738 would set up an interagency workgroup with the California Child Welfare Council and the California Health and Human Services Agency to develop a plan to serve and protect sexually exploited and trafficked minors.

SB 738 would also clarify that a child who has been sexually exploited falls under a court’s dependency system, and will provide a training course for foster parents and group home administrators on the best ways to care for a child who had been sexually exploited.

“SB 738 will help California create a victim-centered response to combating child sex trafficking by ensuring that children who are sexually exploited have access to appropriate care and services rather than continually being treated as criminals” said Kate Case, an organizing and advocacy fellow at International Justice Mission. “This bill also provides training to better serve and care for child trafficking survivors, as well as new protections to prevent the crime in the first place.

“No child who is trafficked chose their situation. They are trapped in it” said Yee. “We should give these young people an opportunity to heal and grow, not entrap them in the criminal justice system for the actions committed against them.”

The bill will next be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Valley View Casino

Posted on Mar 27 by editor

It is with great pleasure for us to give a BIG thank you from BSCC   ~to~

The Asian Business Association     ~and~

KYXY 96.5 Radio Station      ~and~

Valley View  Casino

For the Beautiful small Business Community Award For December 2012 

 Supporting

“The Journey Thrift Store, Helping Victims Rise”

 

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The Great Gatsby Winter Event

Posted on Nov 17 by editor

“The Great Gatsby”
December, 5, 2012

We want to thank everyone who came and supported our event to fight against Human Trafficking, and raise funds for the Victims Services with BSCC.

A special Thanks to Father Luke, The Soroptimist Club, Rotary Club, The Sisters, Bree Walker, also to our DJ Gary!

Below are some photos from the event.

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State Attorney General Visit

Posted on Nov 16 by editor

On November 16, 2012 California State Attorney General Kamala Harris held a conference in Los Angeles with the State Attorney General of Mexico, Marisela Morales and US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.  The purpose of the conference was to disclose the new findings of the Human Trafficking Report based on the 2007 initial report. BSCC was one of the four nonprofits (also CAST, Courage Worldwide and Asian Pacific Islander)  invited to speak on victim assistance.

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