2012 State Ratings Map | Polaris Project | Combating Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery

2012 State Ratings Map | Polaris Project | Combating Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery

Polaris Project has rated all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 10 categories of laws that are critical to a basic legal framework that combats human trafficking, punishes traffickers and supports survivors.

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2012 State Ratings Map

Download the full 2012 state ratings map, state ratings chart, and methodology document here.
Download an individual state report here.
Read the press release here.
State Ratings Statistics

• 28 states (55%) passed new laws to fight human trafficking in the past year.
• As of July 31, 2012, 21 states are now rated in Tier 1 (7+ points), up from 11 states in 2011. Washington received 11 points, the most of any state.
• Four states are "Most Improved": Massachusetts increased by 12 points, South Carolina by 8 points, West Virginia by 6 points, and Ohio by 5 points.
• Four states -- the "Faltering Four" -- are now rated in Tier 4: Wyoming, Arkansas, Montana, and South Dakota. Last year, 9 states were in the bottom tier – the “Nine Lagging Behind.”
• Wyoming has yet to pass any human trafficking law and received -2 points, the lowest number of any state.
• 17 states, or one third of states, increased their rating by at least one tier compared to the 2011 ratings map.
• Polaris Project began tracking and mapping the progress of state anti-trafficking laws in 2007 when only 28 states had anti-trafficking criminal statutes. As of July 31, 2012, the number of states with anti-trafficking criminal statutes, including the District of Columbia, has grown to 48 with sex trafficking offenses and 50 with labor trafficking offenses.

Tier Descriptors

Tier 1 (7+ points): State has passed significant laws to combat human trafficking, and should continue to take steps to improve and implement its laws.
Tier 2 (5-6): State has passed numerous laws to combat human trafficking, and should take more steps to improve and implement its laws.
Tier 3 (3-4): State has made nominal efforts to pass laws to combat human trafficking, and should take major steps to improve and implement its laws.
Tier 4 (0-2): These "Faltering Four" states have not made nominal efforts to enact a basic legal framework to combat human trafficking, and should actively work to improve their laws.
Note: The 10 categories are not exhaustive of all the important legislation that helps combat human trafficking in a given state. ‬The ratings used to evaluate states do not assess the effectiveness or implementation of these laws, nor the anti-trafficking efforts of task forces, law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, service providers, and advocates in the state.

2012 State Reports

Please click on the link below for your individual state report which lists the statute(s) your state received credit for. This list is not necessarily exhaustive of all of the laws against human trafficking in each state, and only includes the laws from the 10 categories that we track for the state ratings map. For guidelines and examples of bill language, please consult Polaris Project’s Model Provisions of Comprehensive State Legislation to Combat Human Trafficking and Commentary. If you need technical assistance in enacting laws to fill in the gaps, please contact the Polaris Project Policy Program at policy@polarisproject.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Alabama	Illinois	Montana	Rhode Island
Alaska	Indiana	Nebraska	South Carolina
Arizona	Iowa	Nevada	South Dakota
Arkansas	Kansas	New Hampshire	Tennessee
California	Kentucky	New Jersey	Texas
Colorado	Louisiana	New Mexico	Utah
Connecticut	Maine	New York	Vermont
Delaware	Maryland	North Carolina	Virginia
District of Columbia	Massachusetts	North Dakota	Washington
Florida	Michigan	Ohio	West Virginia
Georgia	Minnesota	Oklahoma	Wisconsin
Hawaii	Mississippi	Oregon	Wyoming
Idaho	Missouri	Pennsylvania

For additional information related to your state, visit our State-by-State Resources Page.

2013 National Crime Victims' Rights Week: April 21-27th. New Challenges. New Solutions.

In the year 2013, the National Crime Victims' Rights Week takes place from Sunday, April 21st through Saturday, April 27th, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crimes in order to inspire our communities to observe the Victims of Crimes Act of 1984 (VOCA). The Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) was an attempt by the federal government to help the victims of criminal actions through means other than punishment of the criminal. It created a federal victims-compensation account funded by fines assessed in federal criminal convictions, and it established provisions to assist state programs that compensated the victims of crimes. The compensation system is still in existence, having distributed over $1 billion in funds since it began. The statute, codified at 42 U.S.C.A. § 10601, was a direct result of a task force set up by the Justice Department under the auspices of President Ronald Reagan called the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, the report issued by the task force in 1982 was harshly critical of existing victims-compensation programs. "In many states, program availability is not advertised for fear of depleting available resources or overtaxing a numerically inadequate staff. Victim claims might have to wait months until sufficient fines have been collected or until a new fiscal year begins and the budgetary fund is replenished," according to the report. VOCA established the Crime Victim's Fund, which is supported by all fines that are collected from persons who have been convicted of offenses against the United States, except for fines that are collected through certain environmental statues and other fines that are specifically designated for certain accounts, such as the Postal Service Fund. The fund also includes special assessments collected for various federal crimes under 18 USC § 3613, the proceeds of forfeited appearance bonds, bail bonds, and collateral collected, any money ordered to be paid into the fund under section 3671(c)(2) of Title 18; and any gifts, bequests, or donations to the fund from private entities or individuals. The first $10 million from the fund, plus an added amount depending on how much has been deposited in the fund for that fiscal year, goes to child-abuse prevention and treatment programs. After that, such sums as may be necessary are made available for the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to improve services for the benefit of crime victims in the federal criminal justice system, and for a Victim Notification System. The Office for Victims of Crimes has chosen this year's theme to be: "New Challenges. New Solutions." The mission of the OVC's strategic initiative is called Vision 21: Transforming Victims Services in the 21st century for the new millennium. According to Joye E. Frost, the Acting Director for the Office for Victims of Crimes, "in spite of all our progress, victims' rights laws in all 50 states, the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and the more than 10,000 victim service agencies throughout the United States of America--there are still enduring and emerging challenges for victims of crimes in America." About 50 percent of violent crimes are not reported, and only a fraction of victims receive the help they need. There are still ongoing investigations to know and find out more about these victimss, how to help them in the best way, and how the victims' services can be targeted to reach every victim. While adapting to funding cuts, globalization, changing demographics, new types of violent crimes, and the changes (both good and bad) brought by technology. These 21st century new challenges call for bold, new solutions. The promise and commitment of our Vision 21, will pave the way to the ongoing work with victims during the 2013 National Crime Victims' Rights Week, in order to transform victims' services in the 21st century--Office for Victims of Crime, Joye E. Frost, Acting Director

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