June 22, 2023 • 7 mins
Florida's new human trafficking law takes effect July 1st. It ups certain penalties, especially when minors are trafficked in adult establishments. The bill also creates a statewide database to track human trafficking trenda at the local level. USF criminology professor Joan Reid will run the database. We speak with her.
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(00:00):
Gordon Bird here with Beyond the News. Governor Ron Dessatis recently signed a broad
bill passed by the legislature designed tocrack down on human trafficking and give more
support and protection to trafficking survivors.One of the provisions of that bill will
make the University of South Florida's Traffickingin Persons Lab the center for human trafficking
(00:21):
data that is going to be collectedand made anonymous to allow research into trends
that hopefully will allow some progress incombating trafficking. John Reid is a professor
of criminology at USF and director ofthe Trafficking in Person's Lab, and she
joins us on Beyond the News.Professor Reid, welcome, Thank you so
(00:42):
much for having me today. Well, now, your lab is a centerpiece
of this legislation. It's going tobe the repository for all this data.
And how will having this data aidefforts against human trafficking. Well, I'd
like to call this, I wouldlike to call this bill, or this
section of the bill that focuses onthe research lab as let's stop fighting human
(01:06):
trafficking in the dark. We've beenyou know, Florida has been a leader
in the anti trafficking movement or agenda, and has really led the way for
the nation, but we still havea lack of good and accurate data on
human trafficking in our state. Infact, in twenty and twenty when the
(01:27):
lab first open, we conducted arobust needs assessment and ask all of the
stakeholders, over a hundred practitioners andpolicymakers and advocates, how can the lab
help in this fight against human traffickingin our state and how can we advance
(01:49):
anti human trafficking efforts? And aresounding answer was the need for reliable data
on the incidence of human trafficking intheir local region. So, you know,
as a researcher, that was youknow, super encouraging to me.
I didn't expect to get that answerright, And so as soon as we
started hearing this from practitioners, webegan pushing forward this idea of having a
(02:15):
centralized, pritty information center for humantrafficking. When you have more data and
you're able to visualize these big trends, how does that affect the way that
agencies, not just law enforcement agencies, but agencies that support survivors are able
to respond to, pick up onthings and move in directions that may be
(02:39):
helpful. Right, So, whenwe have more information on regional trends and
maybe hot spots, we are ableto see, you know, where there
may be gaps in services for survivors, gaps and you know, first responders
who are able to to you know, interact when there's a law enforcement sting
(03:04):
or you know. The more informationwe have, the better we can use
the resources what we have. Sosupport has been great in terms of responding
to human trafficking, but even sothe resources are limited, right, and
so if we can use data driveninformation to make sure our response is the
most effective, you know, we'regoing to be better off, right in
(03:30):
terms of protecting people from human traffickersas well as responding to those who have
been affected. Now, you havealso rolled out a different network that is
going to be helping law enforcement andsocial services to respond to assist trafficking survivors
who might fall through the cracks.Tell us about the BRIGHT network and how
(03:53):
that will be helping survivors. Right, So, BRIGHT stands for bridging sources
and information gaps in human trafficking.So if you hear that the gaps again,
you know, that's kind of atheme that we're we're again, this
was in response. This program isin response to request from our community partners
(04:14):
across the state for a better wayto connect survivors to services. So the
Bright Network, it leverages technology toaid in that process. So if you
think about it in terms of perhapslike kind of simplified, simplified a little
bit, and think about it interms of like open table, but for
human trafficking survivors and for their casemanagers and for those who are supporting them,
(04:40):
they it's a network in which someonewho has is helping a human trafficking
survivor can go in and say,you know, I need a shelter or
I need you know, medical services, trauma informed mental health services for a
survivor, and they can click onthat need. They can filter through like
what the age of the person isand to make sure that service fits with
(05:03):
them, and they can connect rightin almost real time to that provider.
So that's been something I know,I've been researching human trafficking and I was
a practitioner myself. I worked asthe right crisis counselor for Panell's County,
and that is something that you know, I've been to I don't know,
(05:23):
dozens, maybe hundreds of Human TraffickingTask Force meetings over the years, and
that is something that has been acontinual need for over a decade. And
so you know, I'm just super, i don't know, gratified that we're
able to assist in meeting that longstanding need for human trafficking survivors in our
(05:46):
area. We've been talking about quantifyingin terms of data. If you happen
to have the numbers handy, what'sgoing to be coming the way to your
lab. In terms of financing asa result of this bill, well,
right now USF is picking up thetab for this, and so we're kind
(06:11):
of waiting on the governor to signthe budget before we can have discussions about
you know, you know, howmuch how much funding is available to me.
But I will say that I thinkthat speaks, you know, volumes
to the dedication of USF in termsof supporting the community and being community engaged
(06:33):
as a university that they're willing totake this on as part of their overall
budget without a separate appropriation from thestate. Now, in terms of this
data being available, in addition,we assume it's going to be used by
law enforcement and buy agencies that servesurvivors as a couple of examples. Could
(06:56):
there be applications beyond that. Couldit inform, for example, future legislation
on human trafficking. Of course,I think it'll make allow the state to
be a little more nimble and responsive, you know, to trends in human
trafficking. And you know, Ithink a huge benefit of this is for
(07:17):
policymakers, right I think right now, a lot of policy is built on
is not data driven. It's builton you know, kind of anecdotal evidence
of where the need might be.And so I think policymakers will be able
to use this data to you know, write legislation and change the way we're
(07:40):
responding to the problem based on youknow, accurate and good data. Joan
Read, a professor of criminology atUSF and director of the Trafficking in Person's
Lab, thank you very much forjoining us on Beyond the News,
Gordon Bird here with Beyond the News. Governor Ron Dessatis recently signed a broad
bill passed by the legislature designed tocrack down on human trafficking and give more
support and protection to trafficking survivors.One of the provisions of that bill will
make the University of South Florida's Traffickingin Persons Lab the center for human trafficking
(00:21):
data that is going to be collectedand made anonymous to allow research into trends
that hopefully will allow some progress incombating trafficking. John Reid is a professor
of criminology at USF and director ofthe Trafficking in Person's Lab, and she
joins us on Beyond the News.Professor Reid, welcome, Thank you so
(00:42):
much for having me today. Well, now, your lab is a centerpiece
of this legislation. It's going tobe the repository for all this data.
And how will having this data aidefforts against human trafficking. Well, I'd
like to call this, I wouldlike to call this bill, or this
section of the bill that focuses onthe research lab as let's stop fighting human
(01:06):
trafficking in the dark. We've beenyou know, Florida has been a leader
in the anti trafficking movement or agenda, and has really led the way for
the nation, but we still havea lack of good and accurate data on
human trafficking in our state. Infact, in twenty and twenty when the
(01:27):
lab first open, we conducted arobust needs assessment and ask all of the
stakeholders, over a hundred practitioners andpolicymakers and advocates, how can the lab
help in this fight against human traffickingin our state and how can we advance
(01:49):
anti human trafficking efforts? And aresounding answer was the need for reliable data
on the incidence of human trafficking intheir local region. So, you know,
as a researcher, that was youknow, super encouraging to me.
I didn't expect to get that answerright, And so as soon as we
started hearing this from practitioners, webegan pushing forward this idea of having a
(02:15):
centralized, pritty information center for humantrafficking. When you have more data and
you're able to visualize these big trends, how does that affect the way that
agencies, not just law enforcement agencies, but agencies that support survivors are able
to respond to, pick up onthings and move in directions that may be
(02:39):
helpful. Right, So, whenwe have more information on regional trends and
maybe hot spots, we are ableto see, you know, where there
may be gaps in services for survivors, gaps and you know, first responders
who are able to to you know, interact when there's a law enforcement sting
(03:04):
or you know. The more informationwe have, the better we can use
the resources what we have. Sosupport has been great in terms of responding
to human trafficking, but even sothe resources are limited, right, and
so if we can use data driveninformation to make sure our response is the
most effective, you know, we'regoing to be better off, right in
(03:30):
terms of protecting people from human traffickersas well as responding to those who have
been affected. Now, you havealso rolled out a different network that is
going to be helping law enforcement andsocial services to respond to assist trafficking survivors
who might fall through the cracks.Tell us about the BRIGHT network and how
(03:53):
that will be helping survivors. Right, So, BRIGHT stands for bridging sources
and information gaps in human trafficking.So if you hear that the gaps again,
you know, that's kind of atheme that we're we're again, this
was in response. This program isin response to request from our community partners
(04:14):
across the state for a better wayto connect survivors to services. So the
Bright Network, it leverages technology toaid in that process. So if you
think about it in terms of perhapslike kind of simplified, simplified a little
bit, and think about it interms of like open table, but for
human trafficking survivors and for their casemanagers and for those who are supporting them,
(04:40):
they it's a network in which someonewho has is helping a human trafficking
survivor can go in and say,you know, I need a shelter or
I need you know, medical services, trauma informed mental health services for a
survivor, and they can click onthat need. They can filter through like
what the age of the person isand to make sure that service fits with
(05:03):
them, and they can connect rightin almost real time to that provider.
So that's been something I know,I've been researching human trafficking and I was
a practitioner myself. I worked asthe right crisis counselor for Panell's County,
and that is something that you know, I've been to I don't know,
(05:23):
dozens, maybe hundreds of Human TraffickingTask Force meetings over the years, and
that is something that has been acontinual need for over a decade. And
so you know, I'm just super, i don't know, gratified that we're
able to assist in meeting that longstanding need for human trafficking survivors in our
(05:46):
area. We've been talking about quantifyingin terms of data. If you happen
to have the numbers handy, what'sgoing to be coming the way to your
lab. In terms of financing asa result of this bill, well,
right now USF is picking up thetab for this, and so we're kind
(06:11):
of waiting on the governor to signthe budget before we can have discussions about
you know, you know, howmuch how much funding is available to me.
But I will say that I thinkthat speaks, you know, volumes
to the dedication of USF in termsof supporting the community and being community engaged
(06:33):
as a university that they're willing totake this on as part of their overall
budget without a separate appropriation from thestate. Now, in terms of this
data being available, in addition,we assume it's going to be used by
law enforcement and buy agencies that servesurvivors as a couple of examples. Could
(06:56):
there be applications beyond that. Couldit inform, for example, future legislation
on human trafficking. Of course,I think it'll make allow the state to
be a little more nimble and responsive, you know, to trends in human
trafficking. And you know, Ithink a huge benefit of this is for
(07:17):
policymakers, right I think right now, a lot of policy is built on
is not data driven. It's builton you know, kind of anecdotal evidence
of where the need might be.And so I think policymakers will be able
to use this data to you know, write legislation and change the way we're
(07:40):
responding to the problem based on youknow, accurate and good data. Joan
Read, a professor of criminology atUSF and director of the Trafficking in Person's
Lab, thank you very much forjoining us on Beyond the News,
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