Legislature(2023 - 2024)GRUENBERG 120
03/15/2023 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation(s): Priceless Alaska | |
| Presentation(s): My House | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE JUDICIARY STANDING COMMITTEE
March 15, 2023
1:01 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Sarah Vance, Chair
Representative Jamie Allard, Vice Chair
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative Craig Johnson
Representative David Eastman
Representative Andrew Gray
Representative Cliff Groh
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION(S): Priceless Alaska
- HEARD
PRESENTATION(S): MY House
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
GWEN ADAMS, Executive Director
Priceless Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint presentation on human
sex trafficking.
MICHELLE OVERSTREET, Executive Director
MY House
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint presentation, titled
"The Fight Against Human Trafficking in Alaska."
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:01:02 PM
CHAIR SARAH VANCE called the House Judiciary Standing Committee
meeting to order at 1:01 p.m. Representatives Carpenter,
Eastman, Gray, Groh, Allard, and Vance were present at the call
to order. Representative C. Johnson arrived as the meeting was
in progress.
^PRESENTATION(S): Priceless Alaska
PRESENTATION(S): Priceless Alaska
[Includes discussion of HB 68.]
1:01:37 PM
CHAIR VANCE announced that the first order of business would be
a presentation by Priceless Alaska on human sex trafficking.
1:02:56 PM
GWEN ADAMS, Executive Director, Priceless Alaska, gave a
PowerPoint presentation on human sex trafficking. She explained
that Priceless Alaska began in 2012, working with law
enforcement connections to provide clothing and supplies to
those brought in on arrest for prostitution. From this, she
said that Priceless began working with victims of trafficking,
and it has witnessed 235 survivors since the onset. She
described the work as "dark, hard, and relentless." She posed
the question, as seen on slide 1, "Why would anyone oppose
efforts to end human trafficking?" She moved to slide 2 and
pointed out that some think prostitution is another form of work
and should be legalized. Moving to slide 3, she put forth the
arguments of why prostitution is unsafe, as many are raped,
abused, and exposed to diseases such as HIV and AIDS. She
argued that it is impossible to alleviate harms in prostitution
by simply putting safety measures in place.
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 5 and slide 6, pointing out that
prostitution is the gateway to trafficking. She argued that
prostitution is a form of modern-day slavery. She indicated
that where prostitution is legalized in the world, the
exploitation of children has grown there. She moved to slide 7
and slide 8 and argued that prostitution is not about women's
empowerment and free choice, and she expressed the understanding
that the vast majority of people involved in prostitution wished
"they could get out."
1:08:02 PM
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 9 and slide 10, which addressed the
argument that people should be free to purchase sex. She
expressed the understanding that buyers do not know if the sex
worker is underage or coerced into the work, as victims would be
purchased the same way as a free-lance prostitute. She argued
that buyers are fueling this modern-day slavery; therefore, they
must be punished as well.
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 10 and stated that the crime of
trafficking never goes away if safety for victims cannot be
provided. She stated that safety means that victims would not
face repercussions from traffickers for providing testimony and
that they are free from going back into the trade. She
described this as an "endless game," as traffickers are in
endless pursuit to bring "merchandise" back. She stated the
providing safety would be the way to help these individuals not
return to the trade.
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 11 and stated that if financial
benefits to trafficking are not ended, the crime will persist.
She reiterated that if buyers are not stopped, trafficking will
continue. She suggested that the average trafficker earns
$200,000 per year, per victim. She stressed that this amount of
money puts her own life into danger as she attempts to help
victims. She stated that trafficking is second only to drugs as
the most lucrative form of income for cartels. She pointed out
that drugs and guns can be sold once, while victims of sex
trafficking can be sold multiple times a day.
1:14:08 PM
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 12 and stated that Alaska is considered
to be a trafficking origination point. She explained that this
means this is a state where traffickers come from out of state
because Alaska's population is vulnerable. She stated that the
U.S. and Mexico are considered to be number one in the world for
trafficking. She pointed out that a vulnerable population is
created in the state by the high rates of childhood sexual
abuse, neglect, domestic violence, and more. She indicated that
those who have spent time in the foster care system are also
vulnerable. She discussed the vulnerability linked with people
not living on the road system, suggesting that Alaska is a
"hotbed" for pre-groomed victims. She stated that individuals
who have already experienced some sort of abuse are considered
to be pre-groomed.
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 12 and reiterated the importance of a
close partnership between organizations like Priceless Alaska
and law enforcement. She stressed that law enforcement needs
the tools to fight this, along with plans that are built on
trust and hope with victims. She stated that traffickers will
not be caught unless victims are willing to testify.
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 13 and discussed how Priceless Alaska
helps. She expressed the opinion that Alaska has the resources
to help victims, but it is "terrible at networking resources."
She stated that Priceless is a networking agency, and this was
the reason for creating the agency. She stated that through the
agency individuals are able to "walk with a victim of
trafficking." The agency provides each person two mentors and a
case manager. She stated that often this team is the first
healthy support network that victims have ever had. She stated
that recidivism rates plummeted when this practice was put into
place. She further explained how this model works.
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 15 through slide 17, giving the
examples of three women's stories. She stated that each woman
was asked to describe "hope." She read the quoted statements on
each slide. She stated that Priceless Alaska's effort is
centered around what the victims have expressed as their hope
and dreams, not what the organization thinks the victim needs.
1:23:46 PM
MS. ADAMS concluded the presentation. She pointed out that the
proposed legislation [HB 68] is coming before the legislature,
and it is addressing some "big" needs. She stated that she has
been involved with the creation of the proposed legislation and
recommended that it would help address expunging the record of
prostitution for victims of trafficking, as this is a lifetime
record. She noted that patrons are only getting "a slap on the
back of the wrist," with no record. She stated that currently
there is only a 24-hour notice before the release of a
trafficker, and the legislation is requesting that there be a
72-hour notice to victims. She argued that the buyers of sex
also need to be held responsible if they are "feeding
trafficking," for example by purchasing a child. She noted that
her name and Priceless Alaska has been dragged through the "mud"
for various reasons by those lobbying against it. She
reiterated that there are people who opposed to the fight
against trafficking.
1:26:09 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease.
1:26:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GRAY acknowledged that the legalization of
prostitution in a society would cause more sex trafficking.
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER expressed the understanding that not
all the events in the state get reported. He questioned the
scale of sex trafficking in Alaska.
MS. ADAMS responded that from the data she has seen, only a very
small percentage of victims go and seek justice, and this is
because of fear. She stated that across the country the vast
majority of sex trafficking cases end up as domestic violence
cases. She suggested that law enforcement and first-line
responders be trained to ask better questions and learn bruising
patterns to understand if a person is being trafficked. From
this, she said that individuals could be referred to Priceless
Alaska. She stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) has reported that in six high schools in Alaska there has
been incidents of minors trafficking minors. She stated that
from townhall meetings held in villages, most people do not know
what a trafficking victim is. She expressed the opinion that a
majority of runaway cases are trafficking cases, as the runaway
left with a person who they think they are in a relationship
with. In response to a follow-up question, she stated that
since 2012 she has worked with 245 victims.
REPRESENTATIVE CARPENTER referenced Alaska State Trooper data,
pointing out that there have only been 85 charges of
trafficking, with 20 convictions since around 2012.
MS. ADAMS expressed the desire for the victims to be able to
testify against the traffickers; however, she stated that it is
rare for the victims to have the confidence to do this.
1:33:50 PM
MS. ADAMS, in response to a request of Priceless Alaska's
process, stated that first there is a screening, as there must
be a legitimate story of trafficking. She stated that next
there would be an intake process, and the individual would be
assigned a mentor team and case manager. She reiterated that
the organization is client directive, so the case is built
around what the victim needs. She stated that before any
funding can be given to the victim, the paperwork must be
processed; therefore, funding at this time comes from Priceless.
She responded that this takes a month to six weeks.
CHAIR VANCE noted that words like force, fraud, and coercion are
important concerning human trafficking. She requested a
description of what these words look like to someone who is
being trafficked.
MS. ADAMS related a story of a victim who never met the
trafficker, as it was all done over the internet. She had
befriended someone who came across as a potential boyfriend, and
he asked for pictures and videos. It came out that he was a
fraud, and she was blackmailed. From this she felt forced to be
a prostitute. She stated that this is an example of force,
fraud, and coercion. She added that fear is a driving factor
behind all of this. She provided another case example of the
use of fear.
1:38:41 PM
MS. ADAMS, in response to a committee question, confirmed that
in six high schools in Alaska, minors are trafficking minors.
For example, she explained that a boyfriend would tell his
girlfriend to sleep with a man for cash or drugs. She stated
that often the exchange is for drugs. She reiterated that
traffickers look for vulnerable or addicted individuals.
MS. ADAMS, in response to a committee question, expressed the
understanding that the high schools mentioned are the six in
Anchorage. She listed these schools. She responded that there
has been an aggressive presence in the schools over the past
year concerning training around trafficking. She stated that
this has "not been an easy sell;" however, this is now being
addressed as "safety training" so students are taught to
recognize a predator.
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD suggested that the proposed parental
rights bill could include some cautionary training that parents
could opt into.
1:42:33 PM
CHAIR VANCE mentioned legislation passed last year concerning
"sextortion," as this addresses many things described in the
presentation, such as exchanged photos used as blackmail. She
acknowledged that currently this can be classified as domestic
violence. She advised the committee that these things are
likely happening in every high school and middle school in the
state, and she added that children are vulnerable. She advised
that trafficking is occurring, and not only in the adult
context. She suggested that good laws need to be passed.
1:44:19 PM
MS. ADAMS, in response to a committee question, stated that
minors trafficking minors are usually one-off events, such as a
group of men behind a 13-year-old trafficker. She expressed the
opinion that the unlimited use of the internet is the main cause
of trafficking in youth. She added that as the state has better
connectivity with the internet, this would become worse,
especially since the laws in the state are not effective.
MS. ADAMS, in response to a committee question, stated that
there needs to be recognition that Alaska is a trafficking
origination point, with the vast majority of victims taken out
of state. To understand vulnerabilities, she suggested a focus
on the foster care system. She stated that 700 youth aging out
of the system without finding a home creates vulnerability. She
expressed the understanding that 40 percent of those aging out
of foster care end up on the street, with 100 percent of these
approached by traffickers. She offered the advice that for this
to change "other areas of brokenness" need to be addressed. She
reiterated that 40 percent of teenagers who age out of the
state's foster care system are homeless, with 100 percent of
these approached by traffickers. She expressed uncertainty
concerning the number who are recruited.
1:50:54 PM
MS. ADAMS, in response to a committee question, stated that her
prime motivation is to end trafficking. She expressed
frustration with the argument that prostitution is a victimless
crime. She suggested that the burden should be put on the
buyers of sex, as these people should be aware that they may be
purchasing a child or a person who has been repeatedly forced.
She argued that if the patrons are not asking the right
questions, they should be "behind bars."
MS. ADAMS, in response to a follow-up question, stated that she
has the same beliefs concerning child pornography. She
expressed the understanding that with better internet
connectivity throughout the state, there will be an increase of
child pornography, as it is very lucrative.
Chair Vance offered closing comments on the presentation.
1:56:10 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 1:56 p.m. to 1:57 p.m.
^PRESENTATION(S): MY House
PRESENTATION(S): MY House
1:57:50 PM
CHAIR VANCE announced that the final order of business would be
the presentation by MY House on human sex trafficking.
MICHELLE OVERSTREET, Executive Director, MY House, provided a
PowerPoint presentation, titled "The fight Against Human
Trafficking in Alaska," [hard copy included in the committee
packet]. She stated that MY House serves youth from age 14 to
age 26. She noted that the director of MY House is funded by a
grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and by fundraisers.
She pointed out the director's bio on slide 2, noting that from
the age of 17 she suffered 7 years of sexual assault.
MS. OVERSTREET moved to slide 3 and pointed out that she started
MY House in 2009. She pointed out that at that time she knew
nothing of homeless youth; however, as a master's level
councilor, she knew that Alaska had the highest rates of
domestic violence, abuse, rape, and sexual assault. She
expressed the understanding that many victims have been
trafficked by families and groomed by domestic violence and
assault, and this creates harder situations for police to be
involved in. From their stories, she has learned that youth are
often consistently abused by adults who say they are "helping"
them. She noted that helping the staff at MY House are an
assigned FBI agent, an Alaska State Trooper taskforce, and an
extra patrol from the Wasilla Police Department.
MS. OVERSTREET moved to slide 4 and slide 5, titled "MY House
Trafficking Data." She noted that out of its 456 clients, 42
have reported as being sex trafficked. She pointed out the MY
House definitions of sex trafficking and labor trafficking, as
seen on the slide. She discussed the questions asked during the
intake process at MY House, as these lead to understanding the
needs of victims. She pointed out that the number of clients
who have reported being trafficked has doubled over the last 27
months. She expressed the belief that these numbers have risen
because of activities on the internet during the COVID-19
pandemic and the fact that domestic violence does not easily
fool authorities and staff any longer.
2:03:03 PM
MS. OVERSTREET moved to slide 6, addressing the questions of how
trafficking happens and who it happens to. She stated that the
two case managers at MY House see an average of 100 youth a
week. On the slide she gave examples of how grooming groundwork
is laid out for victims. She noted that risk factors for [easy
grooming] are present in Alaska. She urged the committee that
better laws are needed. She moved to slide 7 which listed MY
House statistics for its clients. These statistics include that
76 percent of its clients have reported experiencing domestic
violence. She expressed the opinion that over 90 percent of the
clients have experienced substance abuse.
MS. OVERSTREET discussed wrap around services to survivors, as
seen on slide 8. These include on-site case management,
transitional supported housing, substance abuse treatment, high
school completion, paid job training, and more.
MS. OVERSTREET moved to slide 9 and discussed the Alaska Stop
Human Trafficking Alliance (ASHTA). She stated ASHTA has four
top areas of focus for youth, which include education and age-
appropriate curriculum. She expressed the opinion that the
SPEAK UP program has promise in the state. She discussed the
People's First Initiative and the flyers posted at the Alaska
State Fair to raise awareness of trafficking. She added that
the Alaska State Fair is the highest single point of trafficking
in the state. She continued listing ASHTA's efforts in bringing
awareness to sex trafficking in the state. She moved to slide
10, which showed an example of a flyer distributed at the Alaska
State Fair.
MS. OVERSTREET moved to slide 11, titled "Why it is so important
to pass HB 68 from a survivor's stand point?" She explained
that the proposed legislation would provide greater legal
protections to victims by expunging records of trafficked
victims. She explained the difficulties for these individuals
as they try to recover from something that they had not chosen,
but for which the record follows them. She stated that HB 68
would also increase penalties for buyers of sex to a Class B sex
felony, if under 18, and a Class C felony, if over 18. She
added that these individuals would be required to register as
sex offenders. She argued that the legislation should be passed
"sooner rather than later," as more victims will "fall through
the cracks."
2:15:36 PM
MS. OVERSTREET moved to slide 12 and played a video of a young,
anonymous victim discussing her experiences.
MS. OVERSTREET concluded on slide 13 and slide 14. She argued
that lawmakers may only have two or three times to make a
difference for youth, and this is one of these times. She
expressed the importance for victims to be able to identify and
testify against traffickers. She acknowledged that this is an
uncomfortable topic that is easy to discard. She expressed the
understanding that part of this is because people who are
involved do not want others to know.
MS. OVERSTREET stated that out of the 42 clients who have
reported an experience in sex trafficking, no traffickers have
been prosecuted. She stressed that even with an assigned FBI
agent and extra police patrols, a charge has never been brought.
She suggested that when traffickers give victims drugs, this is
"a get out of jail free card," because a victim's testimony
would then be considered compromised. She argued that these
perpetrators need to be incarcerated, otherwise they will kill
their victims.
2:25:38 PM
CHAIR VANCE thanked the presenter and noted the highly
uncomfortable nature of the discussion.
MS. OVERSTREET, in response to a request from Chair Vance,
explained that for many of the clients, grooming looks like a
boyfriend who wants to take care of the victim by giving them
nice things. She stated that for low-income clients this is a
"Cinderella story." She stated that after some weeks or months
of this type of treatment, the trafficker will then tell the
victim that there is some kind of financial crunch, with the
solution being that the victim engages in prostitution "just
this once." She suggested that this usually starts out
innocuous, but in a short amount of time the victim then becomes
indebted to an unimaginable extent. She further discussed why
and how people are being trapped by traffickers.
MS. OVERSTREET, in response to a follow-up request concerning
the signs of trafficking, suggested that parents should look at
their child's phone every day. Concerning gaming, she pointed
out two games that were designed by pedophiles, who were
grooming in the chatrooms of the game. She explained that this
is why education in schools is important, as youth need to be
taught that people talking on a game are not always another 12-
year-old. She suggested that parents should talk to their
children about who their friends are and what their friends are
doing. She suggested putting a tracker on the phone if the
child is sneaking out at night. She also noted if the child
comes home with expensive gifts, this is a red flag.
2:31:34 PM
MS. OVERSTREET, in response to a request for examples of
preschoolers molested or trafficked by parents, stated that
these clients are generally youth who eventually run away from
home. She stated that clients with parents who are perpetrators
have a loyalty to the parents, as the victim has been raised to
keep the secret, but also, this is the same type of fear
generated from traffickers. She pointed out that these would be
the pre-groomed children. She expressed the understanding that
Alaska rates of child abuse and violence fuel this.
MS. OVERSTREET, in response to a follow-up question, stated that
education would help because it increases the understanding that
the victim is not alone, as it happens to other children too.
Education would also help the understanding that this behavior
is harmful and not normal. She suggested that counselling in
schools can intervene and pickup on clues that otherwise may be
missed. She pointed out that Alaska is big, and many
organizations do not do a good job of networking with community
partners. She concluded that education is the bottom line.
2:35:25 PM
MS. OVERSTREET, in response to a committee question, stated that
MY House is a mandatory reporter. In regard to whether the
organization is culpable for not reporting, she expressed
uncertainty because this has never happened, adding that the
challenge is not necessarily in the reporting, and she related a
story concerning this and how a youth fell "through the cracks."
She pointed out how many entities that serve youth, such as the
Office of Children Services (OCS), are not trained to see
instances of trafficking, and she reiterated that there should
be mandatory training on sex trafficking for those who work with
youth.
MS. OVERSTREET, in response to a follow-up question concerning
responsibility for mandatory reporting, stated that this is on
the radar for MY House staff. She expressed the understanding
that OCS does not have the staff to deal with 16- and 17-year-
olds who are in trouble. She argued that some of these
teenagers are the most vulnerable people and should receive
services. She stated that there is a way for MY House to put
17-year-olds in transitional housing if they are at risk. She
added that extra housing is being built to do this. She stated
that the organization is reporting these instances, but it does
not have the same capacity as state organizations.
2:42:08 PM
MS. OVERSTREET, in response to a committee question concerning
the age of consent of 16 years old, expressed the wish that it
had stayed at 17 years old, as this would give an extra year for
the maturing process. She stated that the general rule is, if a
youth is in three years of the older individual, this is
consent, unless there is evidence of grooming. She discussed
the strategic relationship between MY House and the police
department in Wasilla.
CHAIR VANCE referenced the bill that recently raised the age for
missing persons to 21 years old. She commented that this age
group would still be vulnerable to coercion. She expressed
concern that these younger individuals do not realize that they
are being trafficked and they need to be protected a little
longer.
REPRESENTATIVE GROH commented on his experience with
sophisticated predators, and he relayed the story. He requested
a discussion of this.
MS. OVERSTREET pointed out that there is a specific group of
abusers, whose children talk and look normal but hide that they
have been beaten. She noted that some traffickers are like
these abusers, as they know where to hit so it does not show.
She spoke about multi-generational abuse. She expressed the
understanding that there is a particular relationship between
Alaska and Texas, as many people are taken to and from Texas.
She continued giving examples of victims being moved around,
expressing the understanding that this would help traffickers
from getting caught. She advised that many traffickers have
calculated behavior to avoid law enforcement. She continued
that youth who are disabled or have a low-level learning
disability are often targeted.
2:53:10 PM
CHAIR VANCE requested advice for those who may be in a
vulnerable situation.
MS. OVERSTREET urged individuals to educate themselves and to
know what to look for. She suggested studying grooming
information to understand what a trafficker might say. She
continued that those in this situation should run and find
people who would help by hiding them from danger.
2:54:28 PM
CHAIR VANCE added that there is an incredible amount of shame,
and this is what prevents women and boys from speaking up. She
continued that it is important for these people to understand
that they are not alone. She thanked the presenters.
2:56:17 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Judiciary Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 2:56 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Priceless Alaska Human Trafficking Presentation (03-15-23).pdf |
HJUD 3/15/2023 1:00:00 PM |
|
| My House Presentation on Human Trafficking for HJUD Committee (03-15-23).pdf |
HJUD 3/15/2023 1:00:00 PM |