Sanctuary supports the Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act (TVPJA), which would address New York State’s continued criminalization of trafficking victims and the impunity of those who prey on them - the pimps, traffickers, and buyers.  Right now, key provisions of the bill are at risk in both the Assembly and Senate Codes Committees.  

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These provisions include:

•    Identifying that the selling of children for sex is an inherently coercive crime
•    Clarifying that sex trafficking victims should not be convicted of prostitution crimes
•    Ensuring that trafficked 16- and 17-year-olds receive services and shelter instead of jail and convictions
•    Making sex trafficking a violent felony and raising the penalty for labor trafficking

Sanctuary Legal Center Director Dorchen Leidholdt states: “Assembly and Senate leaders need to exert their political will to break the partisan log jams. We must amend New York State Law to end the re-victimization of trafficked children in our justice system and hold those who exploit them accountable.”

We need your help to impress upon New York lawmakers the critical importance of passing TVPJA:

Learn more about how TVPJA will help victims of sex trafficking throughout New York.

Send a letter to your New York State lawmakers asking them to pass TVPJA.

Share this issue with your friends; visit Sanctuary’s Facebook and Twitter for updates, news and actions item.

Read Sanctuary’s full press release from the June 13th press conference at City Hall.