*EPF213 02/25/2003
Text: U.S. Justice Dept. Announces New Aid for Victims of Human Trafficking
(Funds to provide food, shelter, health care, legal support for victims) (750)

The U.S. Department of Justice announced a nationwide grant program February 25 to provide an additional $9.5 million in assistance to the victims of human trafficking stranded in the United States.

A Justice Department press release says the grants will provide a variety of services to victims of trafficking who are liberated from their captors: medical attention, food, shelter, mental health counseling, language training, and legal support. An estimated 50,000 women and children are trafficked into the United States each year, most of them forced into prostitution, the release says.

The announcement of the grants came the same day Attorney General John Ashcroft spoke to an international conference on trafficking being held in Washington, sponsored jointly by the U.S. Department of State and a coalition of nongovernmental groups. About 400 delegates from more than 110 nations are gathered to exchange strategies and methods in prevention of trafficking, prosecution of perpetrators and protection of victims.

In explaining the services that the grants will fund, Ashcroft said, "Human freedom, human dignity will be protected by the government of the United States of America."

Following is the text of the press release:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
February 25, 2003

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES GRANTS TO ASSIST VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice Department today announced a nationwide federal effort to assist victims of human trafficking. The Office of Justice Programs' (OJP) Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) recently awarded twelve grants totaling more than $9.5 million under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act Grant Program.

An estimated 50,000 women and children are trafficked into the United States from other countries each year. Most of these victims are forced into prostitution or otherwise sexually exploited. Trafficking victims may also be forced into domestic servitude, prison-type factory labor or migrant agricultural work.

"Trafficking victims are often poor and disadvantaged, and do not have access to traditional forms of assistance," said OVC Director John W. Gillis. "We will work with our grantees to ensure that these victims are not ignored and that they receive the help they need."

Eight of the grants will support comprehensive services to trafficking victims in a specific state or region. These services will include:

--emergency medical attention;
--food and shelter;
--vocational and English language training;
--mental healthy counseling; and,
--legal support.

The grantees will also educate local victim service providers on the needs of trafficking victims and develop training materials that can be used nationally.

Three of the grants will support specialized services to trafficking victims in larger multi-state areas. The Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights will provide legal and social services to trafficking victims in eight Midwestern states. The Massachusetts Mental Health Institute Trauma Center will offer psychological assessments and crisis treatment to victims in 15 East Coast states and the District of Columbia. The Salvation Army will establish at least 29 programs nationwide to house and support sex trafficking victims.

OVC also awarded a grant to Safe Horizon, Inc., which will develop and deliver training and technical assistance to other grantees. Last year, OJP's National Institute of Justice (with funding from OVC) awarded a grant to Caliber Associates to conduct an evaluation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act Grant Program.

The complete list grantees includes:

Comprehensive Services
Little Tokyo Service Center; Los Angeles, California - $583,697
Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach; San Francisco, California - $532,230
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights; Chicago, Illinois - $673,568
International Rescue Committee; New York, New York - $935,285 (To be used in Arizona)
International Rescue Committee; New York, New York - $1,731,660 (To be used in Florida)
East Dallas Counseling Center, Inc.; Dallas, Texas - $799,586
YMCA International Services; Houston, Texas - $529,927
Boat People, S.O.S.; Falls Church, Virginia - $1,896,535

Supplemental/Specialized Services
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights; Chicago, Illinois - $490,829
Massachusetts Mental Health Institute Trauma Center; Boston, Massachusetts - $859,987
Salvation Army National Corporation; Alexandria, Virginia - $282,846
Safe Horizon, Inc.; New York, New York - $200,000

More information on the Trafficking Victims Protection Act Grant Program, as well as information about other OVC programs, publications and conferences are available through the OJP Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc and from the Resource Center at 1-800-627-6872.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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