MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
AUGUST 20, 2019
** Criminal Record Relief for Survivors
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As many already know, last year the Office for Victims of Crime ([link removed]) released new funding restrictions on vacatur and expungement representation. This legal remedy allows trafficking survivors to clear criminal charges from their record that they obtained as a result of their trafficking situation. Survivors are often forced to commit crimes by their traffickers, in fact it is part of the very definition of sex trafficking. They must not only bear the trauma of the abuse and exploitation, but also criminal records that impede their access to the housing, employment, education, and dignity that are essential to building a safe and successful life. The restriction is featured again in this year's grant solicitations.
Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are actively working to revive the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act. This act would provide criminal record relief at the federal level for survivors of human trafficking and these discussions have resurfaced questions on the funding ban. Earlier this month, the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter ([link removed]) to the Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting information about the origins of the funding ban. FNUSA applauds these efforts and urge DOJ and OVC to reverse course on this harmful policy.
READ MORE ([link removed])
** FNUSA Human Trafficking Conference Announced
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The 2020 FNUSA Conference, Holding Space: Innovation and Values in Anti-Trafficking Work, will take place on March 18-19 in Miami, FL. This year we will explore how anti-trafficking work has grown and evolved since the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000. Twenty years later, survivors are receiving more compassionate and effective services and advocates have forged pathways to influence policy. Community leaders across the country are developing new approaches, tools, and partnerships to address human trafficking. These innovations are changing the way we work together and our collective impact.
However, some challenges linger. Survivors still fight for a seat at the table, collaboration remains difficult, and entire populations are overlooked and underserved. As awareness of human trafficking increases, prosecutions are down and human rights protections are being stripped away. Using conference sessions, networking time, and physical space, we will confront these challenges and build solutions that are intersectional, representative, and rooted in human rights.
Visit our website over the next month to learn more about registration, content and accommodations.
LEARN MORE ([link removed])
** Technical Assistance Session on Trauma-Informed Practices in Shelters
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The Freedom Network Training Institute Housing Training and Technical Assistance Project will be hosting a technical assistance session on Trauma-Informed Practices in Shelters. This live technical assistance session is a follow-up to the Webinar on Trauma-Informed Practices in Shelters ([link removed]) and will answer questions about implementing trauma-informed practices in shelters that were left unanswered from the original webinar as well as any new questions submitted prior to the TA session. Participants can submit questions to the panelists through the registration link.
Date: August 28, 2019
Time: 1-2 PM EST
REGISTER ([link removed])
** Other Happenings
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FNUSA Presents in Chicago
FNTI Coordinator, Avantika Shenoy presented alongside Freedom Network Members at the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force Conference on August 8, 2019. The session explored trauma-informed approaches in housing.
FNUSA Submits Comments to HHS
FNUSA joined the National Survivor Network and HEAL Trafficking to submit comments to the Department of Health and Human Services regarding their prevention strategy.
READ NOW ([link removed])
Standards of Care Paper
FNUSA released a white paper on standards of care for the anti-trafficking field. The paper includes a look a promising models and recommendations.
LEARN MORE ([link removed])
At the White House
Executive Director, Jean Bruggeman, attended a listening session hosted by the White House on August 2, 2019. FNUSA continues to advocate for all trafficking survivors and appreciates the invitation to hear concerns from the field.
** Connect With Us
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