Identifying challenges to improve the investigation and prosecution of state and local human trafficking cases

Amy Farrell, Northeastern University
Jack McDevitt, Northeastern University
Rebecca Pfeffer, Northeastern University
Stephanie Fahy, Northeastern University
Colleen Owens, Urban Institute
Meredith Dank, Urban Institute
William Adams, Urban Institute

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Report co-produced by the Institute on Race and Justice at Northeastern University and the Urban Institute and submitted to the National Institute of Justice, Washington, D.C.

Abstract

This report examines challenges faced in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking in the United States. The research targeted counties across the U.S. for a systematic review of human trafficking case records and interviews with police, prosecutors, and service providers. The study found that there was a significant lack of awareness about human trafficking among practitioners and the law enforcement community, as well as a focus on sex trafficking (which is disproportionate to the larger issue of human trafficking). The study provides recommendations to help improve the identification, investigation, and prosecution of human trafficking cases in the United States.