Legislature(2023 - 2024)GRUENBERG 120
01/24/2024 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Human and Sex Trafficking Awareness Week | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
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| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE
January 24, 2024
1:02 p.m.
DRAFT
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Sarah Vance, Chair
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative Craig Johnson
Representative Jesse Sumner
Representative Andrew Gray
Representative Cliff Groh
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Jamie Allard, Vice Chair
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): HUMAN AND SEX TRAFFICKING AWARENESS WEEK
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
TAMI JERUE, Executive Director
Alaska Native Women's Resource Center
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented a PowerPoint, entitled "Human
Trafficking in Alaska," during the presentation on Human and Sex
Trafficking Awareness Week.
BRYAN BARLOW, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Public Safety
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the presentation
on Human and Sex Traffic Awareness Week.
KELSEY POTDEVIN, Education & Outreach Manager
Alaska Native Justice Center
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented a PowerPoint, entitled "Human
Trafficking," during the presentation on Human and Sex
Trafficking Awareness Week.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:02:41 PM
CHAIR VANCE called the House Judiciary Standing Committee
meeting to order at 1:02 p.m. Representatives Carpenter, C.
Johnson, Sumner, Gray, and Vance were present at the call to
order. Representative Groh arrived as the meeting was in
progress.
^PRESENTATION(S): Human and Sex Trafficking awareness week
PRESENTATION(S): Human and Sex Trafficking awareness week
1:03:24 PM
CHAIR VANCE announced that the only order of business would be a
presentation on human and sex trafficking awareness week.
1:05:01 PM
TAMI JERUE, Executive Director, Alaska Native Women's Resource
Center (AKNWRC), presented a PowerPoint, titled "Human
Trafficking in Alaska" [hard copy included in the committee
packet]. AKNWRC was formed in 2016 to combat domestic and
sexual violence occurring at disproportionate rates in Native
communities. Both sex and labor trafficking are contributing
factors to the long-term issue of missing and murdered
indigenous people (MMIP). Trafficking, defined under AS
11.41.360 as compelling or inducing another person to engage in
sexual conduct, adult entertainment, or labor in the state by
force, deception, or threat of force, is a billion-dollar
industry. Since its inception, the National Human Trafficking
Hotline has identified 124 cases of human trafficking and 236
victims in Alaska. A National Congress of American Indians
study found that 40 percent of women who are victims of sex
trafficking identify as American Indian, Alaska Native, or First
Nations. A Loyola University report found that homeless youth
in Anchorage were being trafficked at a rate of nearly 30
percent - more than one in four. The Not Invisible Act
Commission developed the following strategies to address the
crisis: developing administrative changes to identify, report,
and respond effectively to cases; best practices for law
enforcement agencies to follow in combating violent crime
against Indians within Indian lands; and guidance on how to
address any gaps in services for Indian victims of violent
crime. The commission produced several findings involving a
lack of available data at all levels of government, insufficient
funding, and challenges posed by the jurisdictional framework in
Indian country. In addition, a lack of coordination and
oversight contributed to the insufficiency and ineffectiveness
of the federal government's response to the MMIP and Human
Trafficking crisis. Ms. Jerue pointed out that victim blaming
keeps victims silent and supporting victims promotes healing and
justice.
1:28:53 PM
MS. JERUE, in response to committee questions, acknowledged that
domestic violence and sexual assault were more prevalent than
trafficking. She agreed that juvenile runaways were in more
danger of being coerced or manipulated.
1:35:29 PM
BRYAN BARLOW, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Public Safety
(DPS), in response to committee questions, confirmed that public
safety prioritizes finding juvenile runaways and placing them
into appropriate care. He urged families to report a missing
person immediately, disputing the notion that one must wait 24
hours. He differentiated between a missing juvenile and a
runaway, indicating that known circumstances could elevate the
urgency of response. He added that there could be a way to
enhance response through training and potential changes to
policy. Protocols for a missing person involve quickly
collecting as much information as possible by dispatch,
investigative follow-up on the initial complaint, and listing
the missing status in the national database.
1:53:27 PM
MS. JERUE, in response to a question regarding coercion,
acknowledged that Alaska Native youth - and all youth - were
susceptible to coercion disguised as affection or understanding,
especially to a runaway with a problematic home life. She
shared her understanding that Alaska Native youth were
approached at a higher rate and that youth with substance abuse
issues were easily manipulated.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW added that even the most seasoned
public safety professionals are surprised by what people will do
to each other, specifically juveniles, in regard to
manipulation. Sometimes that manipulation is performed by
family, friends, or persons known to the juvenile.
2:06:32 PM
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER BARLOW, in response to a question regarding
the equity of DPS response time, claimed that even in rural
areas, troopers receive dispatch calls, gage the urgency of
response, and initiate an investigation immediately.
2:11:16 PM
KELSEY POTDEVIN, Education & Outreach Manager, Alaska Native
Justice Center (ANJC), presented a PowerPoint, entitled "Human
Trafficking" [hard copy included in the committee packet]. ANJC
was established in 1993 to address Alaska Native people's unmet
needs in the justice system in response to increasingly
disproportionate rates of victimization and incarceration. In
2016, ANJC became an affiliate of Cook Inlet Tribal Council.
The center offers culturally relevant programming while serving
all Alaskans and Tribes and offering community education and
outreach. Survivor services include case management and legal
services to assist with domestic violence/sexual assault and
human trafficking. In addition, ANJC participates in a
statewide MMIP group, which is interrelated to trafficking, and
provides direct services to families of those missing. The
center supports Tribal justice systems by exercising tribal
sovereignty and offering resources and facilitation to promote
safety in their communities. ANJC focuses on empowerment by
equipping people with the knowledge and resources to navigate
the legal system and advocates for social justice by encouraging
fair and equitable treatment of Alaska Native people within the
system.
2:23:10 PM
MS. POTDEVIN turned her attention to human trafficking by
sharing the federal definition from the Trafficking Victims
Protection Act (TVPA) in 22. U.S.C. 7102, and highlighting the
words "force," "fraud," and "coercion." The A-M-P Model
considers action, means, and purpose to identify human
trafficking. Traffickers recruit through seduction and
coercion; false job advertisements; peer recruitment; social
media; parents selling children; and violence/kidnapping, but
the most useful recruitment tactic is meeting a person's unmet
need. There are many cultural risk factors, including
historical trauma and culture loss; economic isolation; high
rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), homeless youth,
and family involvement with the child welfare system. The
Covenant House Study from 2014-2017 was the largest study of
human trafficking among homeless youth ever conducted. Findings
indicated that Native youth were disproportionately affected. A
large proportion of trafficking victims were recruited via
social media and multiplayer online games and chatrooms.
Recognizable signs of trafficking include isolation, changing
phones or social media accounts, inconsistent stories, and the
inability to speak alone. Ms. Potdevin explained that people
don't always see themselves as victims; others may not identify
as a victim because their experience may have elements of
criminality. Fear of law enforcement or authority figures also
plays a role. ANJC is committed to work with statewide partners
on combating human trafficking within Alaska and has many
resources available for identified victims of human trafficking.
2:35:10 PM
MS. POTDEVIN, in response to committee questions, stated that
many Native nonprofits are running programs that could be
considered upstream prevention. She added that solutions are
already present within Alaska Native communities, they just need
to be accessed.
2:43:53 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 2:43 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| AKNWRC Human Trafficking in Alaska Presentation (01-24-24).pdf |
HJUD 1/24/2024 1:00:00 PM |
|
| ANJC Human Trafficking and Services Presentation (01-24-24).pdf |
HJUD 1/24/2024 1:00:00 PM |