July 24, 2006
Side Projects
I have been working on a side project for a few weeks now, which I realized I have not yet mentioned. While it sounds slightly boring, it has been a nice to have an emotionally neutral alternative to the bulk of what I am doing here. The project is researching all methods of medically determining the age of a minor. In sex-trafficking cases, victims as young as thirteen years old have often been trained by their pimps to tell authorities that they are eighteen and some even have false documents to support it. After meeting with a French magistrate, we found out that the French court system uses bone scans to determine the age of those that are suspected to be minors. Since then, I have been looking at how the American court system has or could use similar technology to help in trafficking cases. I enjoy science as a hobby, so it has been nice to take an occasional break from studying sex trafficking rings and writings by johns and instead learn about endochondral ossification. Here is an article that talks about a recent case of domestic sex trafficking of minors being tried here in DC. And here is another one which highlights some of the more extreme types of cases of domestic trafficking that I am working with this summer. While both of these articles are written with an unfortunately sensationalist approach, it is important to remember that experiences like these are a daily reality for millions of women around the world, not just a platform for a catchy article. I was actually referred to the second one while reading something that a self-proclaimed "monger" or commercial sex hobbyist had written. He was shocked that this type of abuse occurred to “his women,” but was oblivious to how he was a part of their victimization. Race issues also become quickly evident as you dive into this issue. The main reason this particular "monger" noticed the piece was that he was surprised to find that "good white girls get taken from good homes," implying that someone the "other" victims are somehow of less importance.
Posted by CJ Adams at 02:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 15, 2006
July Briefing:
Here are some things that I wanted to catch everyone up on:
Congressional Hearing on Trafficking:
I was able to go to a hearing that was addressing the spike in demand for commercial sex that was created by the world cup in Germany. One of my bosses was a witness for the last one of these hearings. Click here to see an article she wrote about the situation which appeared in the Washington post.
Anti-Trafficking Conference
I also went to a fascinating conference with over 200 people involved in the anti-trafficking movement. After a lecture on effective law enforcement techniques, I was able to spend a few minutes speaking with one of the presenting officers, and a department of justice investigator who works heavily on trafficking cases. While both men were very experienced and knowledgeable, I was not only inspired by what they told me, but also by what they admitted to not knowing. This field is so young that many fundamental ally basic issues and tactics for addressing them have remained untouched. It is exciting to be in a place where two experts in the field are lamenting the lack of knowledge on topics that I am spending all of my time investigating.
My Anti-Demand Project
I am working on a comprehensive plan to reduce the overall demand for sex trafficking. Using my research on the mentality of various types of johns, sex trafficking networks, and previous demand reduction programs, I have sketched-out a large initiative that would be able to effectively reach different types of johns and deter them from purchasing commercial sex in the most effective way possible. I will explain more about the details of my plan in the next post.
Posted by CJ Adams at 12:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 14, 2006
Security Clearance Granted
Ok.. Here we go. I was able to clear up what parts of my work are confidencial, and so now i will be posting regularly and catching everyone up on what i have been doing this past week. First i will just put up one of the blogs that i wrote earlier that they said were ok to put up. In the future, they still want to check anything going out, but we have a system now so it should be a quicker process. Thanks for your patience!
This is from mid-june:
Last week I worked on collecting information for a trucking organization. It was my job to research operational details on how trafficking takes place at truck stops around the country. While it seems like something of a strange assignment, I actually found it to be quite fascinating. In last few years there have been two large scale investigations in to sex trafficking rings which use truck stops as their primary venue for providing commercial sex. Networks of pimps orchestrate the exploitation of hundreds of women and children by organizing trafficking operations across the country. Victims are kidnapped or tricked into the company of the pimp and then forced into prostitution on a “track” of truck stops in as many of 15 states. Every 2 weeks or so the women are moved to a new location to keep them from developing any connections that could help them get out. If the victims attempt to leave, they are beaten or raped by their controllers, until they are mentally conditioned to believe there is no life apart from the continual abuse which they come to normalize over time. This type entrapment effects victims in all forms of sex trafficking, and it is Polaris’ mission to combat these systems of modern day slavery.
The situation in truck stops is especially poignant because of the harsh conditions and low fees of the sex-scene into which these women are prostituted. Part of my research involved reading hundreds of pages of writings by johns bragging about their experiences (men who buy commercial sex). Some days I leave the office covered in a coat of mental smile, having waded through that muck for hours on end; but this work is also incredibly encouraging for me. For the first time, I am able to actually use my research to help the victims of trafficking, and not just observe it from the sidelines.
Posted by CJ Adams at 11:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
June 30, 2006
Office Confidential
I am so sorry that I have not been posting on the website yet. I am writing blogs, but I am required to send them through my superiors before I can publish them, and not a single one has made it through the process yet! Unfortunately, my life apart from work consists of a 2 hour commute, home cooked meals, and never quite enough sleep. I wish I could just entertain you all with fun facts of travel, but all of my excitement happens at Polaris, and anything that comes out of there has to go through my bosses. They are incredibly passionate leaders in the anti-trafficking movement, and it is just one of many (and much more important) things resting on their 80hr-work-week-plates. As much as I would like to share detailed descriptions of the bus-to-train-to-metro schedule that fills my non-office hours, I will restrain myself and spare you the excitement of my commute.
What I mean to say by all this is: thank you so much for your patience. My time at Polaris has been truly incredible so far. I am learning a tremendous amount of new information and have had some poignant first hand experiences with the harsh reality of human trafficking. For several years I have known that women and children are being exploited around the world through sex trafficking, but over these last few weeks my eyes have been opened to how close this problem is to our doorsteps. There are forced brothels in most major cities in the US, and they are advertised in major newspapers. Polaris is part of a growing movement to raise awareness about this issue, oppose its perpetrators, and support its victims. Needless to say, my perspective on the reality of this situation around me has dramatically changed as my eyes are opened wider each day. I will post some more specific stories and info on the particular work that I am doing, as soon as I get the clearance to do so. More to follow, I promise!
Posted by CJ Adams at 04:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
