Combatting Labor Trafficking

FORCE, FRAUD, AND CONFUSION

THIS IS PART TWO IN A SERIES. COMPLETING PART ONE FIRST IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

JULY 19TH FROM 3PM-5PM

In the last two decades, little has changed in our collective ability to identify and investigate cases of labor trafficking and provide support to victims. The existing framework is broken, we need a new approach. Building off the first session, “Labor Trafficking: A New Framework,” this second session in our series will focus on the definition of coercion. Many forms of coercion are subtle, and traffickers often use forms of nonviolent coercion that are difficult to identify. The session will take participants on an in-depth journey to better understand coercion, through presentation, discussion, and legal case examples.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Participants will be able to articulate 2 manifestations of nonviolent coercion

  • Participants will better understand coercive tactics used by traffickers

  • Participants will be able to reference legal case examples involving nonviolent coercion

BIOS

Erin Albright
Erin Albright is an internationally recognized anti-trafficking expert with over a dozen years of experience establishing, guiding, and funding initiatives of all sizes and at every stage of development. Her work focuses on building capacity to combat labor trafficking, development and operations of multi-disciplinary teams, and improving law enforcement responses to human trafficking. A subject matter expert for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime, the US Commission on Human Rights, and the California Office of Emergency Services, she has also worked globally with countries from Armenia to Uzbekistan. In the United States, her partners and clients range from the Department of Justice and the American Bar Association to 23 state and local task forces. Her most recent accolade was a three-year Visiting Fellowship with the DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime, where she focused on improving victim-centered response strategies, developing capacity building tools and trainings for labor trafficking, and building multidisciplinary collaboration to respond to human trafficking. Her previous experience includes positions as the Coordinator/Director of the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force, Regional Program Director for the private operating foundation Give Way to Freedom, and Data and Outreach Specialist for the Boston Police Department’s Human Trafficking Unit. She has served as the co-chair of the Freedom Network’s Policy Committee, and co-Chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Human Trafficking Committee. She is a graduate of Mary Washington College, and Boston College Law School, and a member of the Massachusetts Bar. In 2016 she received a Commendation from (former) New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan, and formal recognition by ICE/HSI and Senators Jean Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte for her work on behalf of survivors and with the NH Collaborative Task Force.

References:

Colleen Owens, & Farrell, A. (2015). Understanding the organization, operation, and victimization process of labor trafficking in the United States (pp. 348–354). Urban Institute. http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12117-015-9257-9

Desai, N. K., & Tepfer, S. (2017). Proactive Case Identification Strategies and Challenges of Initiating Labor Trafficking  Cases. United States Attorney’s Office Bulletin, 65(6).

Weil, D. (2010). DOL Improving Workplace Conditions Through Strategic Enforcement.pdf. Boston University.

This presentation was produced under grants 2020-VM-BX-0003 and 2020-VT-BX-0080 awarded to AO: Advocating Opportunity by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed are those of the grantee and do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice.