Actress and Advocate, Jada Pinkett Smith, Minh Dang, Deputy Attorney General James Cole and Withelma "T" Ortiz-Macey met to discuss human trafficking.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole met with Jada Pinkett Smith last week to discuss the department’s extensive efforts to end human trafficking.  Ms. Pinkett Smith founded the organization, Don’t Sell Bodies, to raise awareness about this global epidemic and advocate for victims of trafficking. Ms. Pinkett Smith was joined by former trafficking victims who now work to raise awareness and eliminate human trafficking, including Minh Dang and Withelma “T” Ortiz-Macey, Glamour magazine’s 2011 Woman of the Year. 

During the meeting the group discussed remarks made by Deputy Cole before the INTERPOL General Assembly in Italy earlier this month, which largely focused on the department’s myriad of efforts to combat trafficking, including the links between transnational organized crime and human trafficking and the department’s prosecution and training efforts in this area. 

Deputy Attorney General Cole greets Jada Pinkett Smith and her colleagues who are advocating for an end to human trafficking.

Human trafficking cases are prosecuted by several Department of Justice components, including the Civil Rights Division and its specialized Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, the Criminal Division through the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and individual U.S. Attorney’s Offices. These cases are investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations, and partners at the Departments of Labor and State.

Jada Pinkett Smith meets with Deputy Attorney General James Cole.

In recent years we have demonstrated unprecedented success in fighting both labor and sex trafficking. We are bringing a record number of federal cases, while at the same time, more states than ever before have passed their own anti-trafficking laws. The department has increased the number of human trafficking prosecutions by more than 30 percent in forced labor and adult sex trafficking cases, while also increasing the number of convictions in Innocence Lost National Initiative cases by 30 percent.

Working with federal, state, local, and international law enforcement agencies, we recently secured the longest sentence ever imposed in a forced labor case. In United States v. Botsvynyuk, the lead defendant was sentenced to life in prison plus twenty years, and his co-conspirator was sentenced to twenty years, for their respective roles in an organized human trafficking scheme that held its victims in forced labor on cleaning crews in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Just over a year ago, we initiated a pilot project of multi-agency Anti-Trafficking Coordination Teams (ACTeams) in six judicial districts in the United States. These task forces will prove the value of interagency coordination to address the scourge of human trafficking. In addition to the ACTeams, each U.S. Attorney now participates in some form of anti-trafficking task force.

In addition to our own federal prosecutions, the department’s grant making components are funding state and local law enforcement agencies and victim services organizations to support multidisciplinary, victim-centered task forces dedicated to investigating trafficking crimes and providing culturally-competent assistance to victims.

By taking a multi-disciplinary approach to combating human trafficking and working with our federal, state local and nonprofit partners we can ensure that victims obtain the services that they need and that offenders are prosecuted and sentenced to lengthy jail sentences.

On November 5th, Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole addressed the 81^st INTERPOL Ministerial and General Assembly meeting in Rome, Italy. This gathering of INTERPOL member countries marked an important opportunity to recognize joint achievements, build relationships, discuss issues critical to our domestic and global security, and develop a path forward on international law enforcement.

Deputy Attorney General Cole noted the unprecedented level of cooperation between INTERPOL member countries which has led to the development of critical law enforcement tools of 24/7 communication, information sharing and coordinated responses.  He also emphasized two important areas that would benefit greatly from INTERPOL’s continued leadership and support and member countries’ investment, vigilance and cooperation: Transnational Organized Crime and Human Trafficking.

 “Transnational organized crime poses a significant and growing threat to the security of each of our nations (and citizens) and the international community as a whole.  Not only are criminal networks expanding, but they are also diversifying their activities – with dire implications for public safety, public health, democratic institutions and, in this already tough economic climate, the financial stability of nations across the globe.  The United Nations estimates that, in 2009, transnational organized criminal activities generated $870 billion in illegal proceeds – equivalent to almost 7 percent of world exports.” 

To respond to the threat of transnational organized crime, Deputy Attorney General Cole called for a “whole-of-government approach” focused on coordinating resources and expertise: 

“We realized that law enforcement measures alone would not fully counter the threat of transnational organized crime.  Included in this approach was: the work of our Department of the Treasury to impose financial sanctions on major transnational organized crime groups and individuals; and the work of our Department of State to deny entry to the United States to transnational criminal aliens and others who have been targeted for financial sanctions.  As a direct result of these actions, five transnational organized crime groups that span the globe already have been subjected to these crippling financial sanctions.”

Deputy Attorney General Cole also stressed the need for “enhanced global attention and a unified law enforcement response” to fight against human trafficking:

“One of the greatest horrors of this crime is that traffickers view their victims as nothing more than a commodity, something that can be bought and sold, or simply taken, and eventually discarded… This crime can take many forms. It is the young woman who moves to another country for the promise of a new life – but instead finds herself enslaved and repeatedly sold for sex. Or the child who ran away from home and finds herself in the same situation because, in desperate need, she accepted help from the wrong person.” 

Although the specific details may differ, these heinous crimes often have two common elements.  First, human trafficking  is hidden in plain sight – behind the veil of a prostitution offense, a domestic abuse incident, a physical or sexual assault, a labor dispute, or an immigration crime.  Second, victims are often traumatized, and can be weary of – and reluctant to corporate with – law enforcement officials for fear of repercussions from their captors. This is why educating first responders about the factors that may indicate a potential human trafficking offense is a critical step in improving our ability to identify and help trafficking victims. 

In front of an international audience, Deputy Attorney General Cole reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to preventing and fighting human trafficking in all of its forms. Last year, the department set a new record in the number of defendants charged in human trafficking cases. Additionally, over the last three years, there has been a 30 percent increase in the number of forced labor and human trafficking cases charged. 

The United States has also partnered with law enforcement officials from Mexico and Ukraine, to Germany and Canada to dismantle sex traffic networks and successfully bring perpetrators behinds these crimes to justice. This work – which showcases the value of engaging in global partnerships to combat human trafficking –sends an unmistakable message: we will relentlessly pursue those who trade in the misery of other human beings and we will rescue their victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.

However, these efforts are only the beginning. To successfully combat human trafficking, as Deputy Attorney General said, “prosecution alone is not the answer,” which is why we are bringing a renewed focus to preventative measures like:

• Prevention through prosecution of trafficking rings before they can ensnare other victims;
• prevention through deterrence so that our prosecutions dissuade others who may consider engaging in this crime;
• prevention through public awareness; and, lastly,
• prevention through the education of potential victims who, driven by fear, poverty, or lack of education, often unwittingly place their lives in the hands of exploitative traffickers.

No single country or law enforcement agency has the power, or the means, to tackle the global criminal enterprises we face.  Only by communicating effectively, sharing intelligence and combining resources – within our own governments and with our law enforcement partners around the globe – can we truly understand current and emerging trends and build effective strategies to anticipate, combat and put an end to these crimes. 

It is estimated that over 9 million children live in homes where a parent or other adult use illegal drugs. Children growing up in such a challenging environment are 3 times more likely to be verbally, physically, or sexually abused and 4 times more likely to be neglected.

This week, Deputy Attorney General James Cole, Community Oriented Policing Services Office Director Bernard Melekian, U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas Barry Grissom, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, Nicholas Klinefeldt, and  interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa Sean Berry attended the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children Conference in Des Moines, Iowa to support the efforts to find and help children growing up in dangerous drug environments. 

Deputy Attorney General James Cole spoke with urgency about the importance and responsibility we have to ensure the justice, health and safety of these vulnerable young members of our communities:

This work is difficult and gut-wrenching. We cannot simply arrest and prosecute our way out of the growing epidemic of drug abuse, trafficking, and addiction by parents and childcare providers.   Saving these children requires a multi-disciplinary approach involving coordinated teams comprised of law enforcement, child protective services, healthcare professionals, educators, victim service specialists, child advocates, courts, and the community.   It requires all of us.

As Chairman of the Federal Interagency Task Force on Drug Endangered Children,  Deputy Attorney General Cole has led the efforts to raise awareness; increase coordination at the federal, state, tribal and local levels; and provide assistance to the field. 

The DEC Task Force recently developed a combined resource CD for law enforcement and child welfare agencies; new training courses at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; and developed a drug endangered children resource website.

The National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children (National DEC) is one of the DEC Task Force’s best allies. This year they received a $1.2 million in grants from the department. With this funding, they’ve transformed from an informal association of state leaders to a national voice for training, technical assistance, and advocacy on behalf of abused and neglected children.

COPS Director Melekian:

The better the availability of training opportunities focused on identifying and helping drug endangered children, the better chance we have of making this a central part of law enforcement’s mission to serve and protect.  And it needs to be clear that there is an alternative to the violence and fear that is part of the daily lives of these children…With the right tools and information, we can reduce the incidences of children’s exposure to violence and intervene more effectively.

In addition to the national organization, state-level DEC groups are finding innovative solutions to share with their state and federal partners.

For example, the COPS Office awarded the Colorado Alliance for Drug Endangered Children funding to expand their Drug Endangered Children Tracking System (DECSYS).  DECSYS is an easy-to-use, web-based system that allows law enforcement and child protection agencies an automated process for identifying children at risk.

This can expedite the identification of children in danger and bring them the assistance they need.  In the last two years, DECSYS has been credited with a 150 percent increase in the number of drug endangered children identified for child protective services.  It will soon launch in Nevada and Wisconsin.

U.S. Attorney Grissom spoke about coordination and collaboration:

Our coordination and collaboration with the Southern District of Iowa and the National DEC Alliance serves as an example of the power of partnerships;  this training will encourage partnerships, and provide tools for law enforcement, victim service providers, medical personnel,  welfare workers, educators  and other professionals to protect our most valuable resource, our children.    

While investigation and  prosecution will be discussed at this conference, the conference will focus on the importance of partnerships to assure the safety of children, enforce state and federal laws, and identify alternatives to incarceration that are designed to maintain,  or reunite families.

By bringing together federal, state and local resources with advocates, experts and community leaders, we can raise awareness of the plight of drug endangered children nationwide. We can increase coordination and intervene early to stop the cycle of violence and ensure these vulnerable citizens have the bright future full of promise they deserve.

To learn more about Drug Endangered Children, visit justice.gov/dec.

On October 10th, Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole traveled to Talladega, Ala., where he spoke with members of the Northern Alabama Reentry Council. The Reentry Council was formed in April 2011, with the goal of offering recommendations to create more successful outcomes in the lives of former inmates, as well as improving the security of the communities they return to upon their release. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, Joyce White Vance, Bureau of Prisons Director Charles Samuels and FCI Talladega Warden John Rathman hosted the Reentry Council meeting which included a group of professionals from across the federal, state and local criminal justice systems. 

Each year more than 700,000 individuals exit our state and federal prisons. Currently, two-thirds of all released state prisoners will be rearrested within three years, with half of those returning to prison. Forty percent of former federal prisoners are rearrested or have their supervision revoked within three years after release. The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that more than $74 billion is spent on state, local and federal prisons each year.  The Department of Justice has made a strong commitment to programs that will assist with reentry, along with prevention and enforcement, as part of our comprehensive Anti-Violence Strategy.

As Deputy Attorney General Cole said:

“The members of this Council have recognized that we can no longer afford the societal and budgetary costs incurred when people cycle in and out of our prisons… As we developed our comprehensive Anti-Violence Strategy we realized that we cannot arrest and prosecute our way out of this devastating problem.  While prosecution is important, we also have to prevent the violence from happening in the first place and one important way to do this is to pay attention to the people incarcerated in our prisons and as they prepare to leave those institutions make sure they are ready to reenter our communities as productive, law abiding members.  In this vein, federal prosecutors are encouraged to think comprehensively about the criminal justice process – to critically examine other ways to improve public safety, beyond traditional enforcement and to place an increased reliance on criminal justice stakeholders and community leaders to help guide and inform these efforts.” 

Deputy Attorney General Cole went on to discuss other efforts that are being made at the Department of Justice, the Bureau of Prisons and at the state level. He highlighted, for example, programs taking place in Alabama through the Reentry Council:

“[T]hrough its working groups, this Council has tackled issues for formerly incarcerated individuals involving housing, transportation, healthcare and rehabilitation, education, job training and access, and community support and reintegration.  The working groups have developed and implemented critical initiatives which are providing measurable results — such as working on the development of a memorandum of understanding between municipal judges to assist formerly incarcerated individuals who are attempting to re-acquire their driver’s licenses.”

Under Attorney General Eric Holder, the department has prioritized effective reentry and reinvestment programs for formerly incarcerated individuals. Since October 2009, the department has awarded more than $200 million Second Chance Act grants to more than 370 state, local and tribal prisoner reentry programs. These grants will help the nearly 10 million individuals that are released from jails and state and federal prisons each year successfully return to communities.  Recently, the Office of Justice Programs announced new awards including a grant to the Alabama Department of Corrections for the Jefferson County Reentry Planning Project.

U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance noted the impact of the Reentry Council working with the states to take an active role to find solutions to ensure public safety and security.

“The North Alabama Reentry Council has been a collaborative effort among federal and state judges, prosecutors, probation and prisons officials to achieve better outcomes for formerly incarcerated individuals reentering our communities. Our goal in these efforts is to identify and coordinate resources toward enhancing public safety and saving taxpayer dollars. I have been deeply impressed by all the groups in the community who were operating in isolation but came forward and are now working in specific areas that were the worst barriers to successful re-entry.”

In 2011, Attorney General Holder created the Federal Interagency Reentry Council, bringing together 20 federal agencies to tackle the issue of reentry in a comprehensive way. The Department of Justice recognizes that in order to make our country safer, it is important to make sure that rehabilitation and reentry outcomes are a priority. As Deputy Attorney General Cole said:

“Only by working together can we reduce criminal justice spending, protect individuals and their families, prevent new victimizations, and improve the quality of our communities.”

For more information about the Reentry Council and Second Chance Act, visit www.nationalreentryresourcecenter.org

Today, Deputy Attorney General James Cole spoke  on behalf of the Department of Justice at the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day event at the White House. In 2006, June 15^th was designated as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to recognize the mistreatment of elderly people globally and to highlight the need for preventative actions. Elder abuse includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse; neglect; and even financial abuse.

Deputy Attorney General Cole spoke about the importance of protecting older Americans who are often targets of financial fraud and abuse schemes. Financial abuse and exploitation crimes include nursing homes and other health care providers that exploit Medicare beneficiaries for their own profit. It may also include the elderly falling victim to consumer scams and fraud. The government continues to fight back against these types of crimes.

As Deputy Attorney General Cole said:

“Elder abuse is a hidden epidemic that annually impacts the health and well-being of six million older people…For me, and for today’s Department of Justice, protecting older Americans is a top priority that we advance on multiple fronts. Too many elderly Americans are suffering alone – together we can change that.”

Earlier this year, the Department of Justice also hosted a historic consumer protection summit for law enforcement and consumer advocates to harness collective experiences, discuss strategies for enhancing enforcement of consumer fraud crimes, and increase public awareness of these crimes so ordinary citizens can fight back themselves.

Deputy Attorney General Cole further explained that financial abuse of the elderly involves draining resources of individuals, families, businesses and public programs like Medicare and Medicaid. He specifically called for more programs by civil legal aid lawyers to help prevent and remedy such elder abuse, and announced the “Missing Link Project.” This program, established by the department’s Elder Justice Initiative, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Access to Justice Initiative, will develop training materials for legal service providers to identify, support, and respond to the special needs of older victims.

To protect the financial integrity of the Medicare program, both the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services created the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Teams (HEAT) in 2009. Since then, the agencies have recovered over $8 billion in cases involving fraud against Medicare and other federal health care programs – returning these dollars to taxpayers and preventing these criminals from continuing their operations.

For more information on these programs to fight abuse, or if you or someone you know is a victim of elder abuse, visit the National Center on Elder Abuse. You may also find more information at WhiteHouse.gov.

The following post appears courtesy of Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs, Mary Lou Leary

The disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz on May 25, 1979, of Adam Walsh in 1981, and the murders of 29 children in Atlanta during those same years forced our nation to realize we had no national response system in place to coordinate the efforts among federal, state, and local law enforcement when children went missing. We had no central resource to help families searching for their children. The momentum generated by a concerned public following these disappearances led to photographs of missing children on milk cartons — and ultimately a nationwide movement. 

Each president since Ronald Reagan has commemorated May 25^th as National Missing Children’s Day to remind the nation to make child protection a national priority. 

At a moving ceremony this Wednesday, I listened as Deputy Attorney General James Cole paid tribute to four individuals — a special agent, a detective, a 30-year veteran of the postal service, and a prosecutor– for their extraordinary efforts to recover missing children, rescue children from abuse, and prosecute sexual predators.  These jobs are among the toughest in law enforcement, as Deputy Attorney General Cole said:

Your jobs are among the most intellectually challenging and emotionally wrenching.   You uncover crimes of depravity and cold calculation.   Most people would cower from the prospect but you rise to meet the challenge, knowing that these kids and their communities are depending on you.   We commend you for your service.

Yvonne Pointer, a mother who experienced this pain and loss firsthand, also spoke passionately and poignantly during the ceremony about her daughter Gloria, who was abducted, raped, and murdered when she was 14 years old. Since then Yvonne has become a passionate advocate, working to stop crimes against children and to give a voice to families who have lost a loved one. 

I’m proud that the Office of Justice Programs plays such a central role in the Justice Department’s efforts on behalf of children.  We fund programs, we train practitioners, and we support research to make these efforts increasingly more successful and effective.  Our work with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force program has made a difference in neighborhoods across the country in the lives of many children and their families. As the AMBER Alert Program National Coordinator, I’m gratified to report the program has led to the successful recovery of 584 abducted children since its creation in 1996.  

Attorney General Holder has long been committed to children’s safety and well-being.  His Defending Childhood initiative, has created a national task force of experts who have heard about children’s exposure to violence from practitioners, policymakers, academics, community members, and survivors at four public hearings in the past six months. The task force will synthesize its recommendations in a final report to the Attorney General later this year. 

We know that the powerful voices of those most affected by violence will spur the task force to find new tools for preventing and reducing the effects of children’s exposure to violence, just as our annual National Missing Children’s Day event reminds us of the importance of working together to recover missing children and rescue them from harm’s way.   

As Yvonne Pointer said so eloquently:

 “Today we are reminded why we commemorate this day and why we must continue to speak for children who have lost their voices and those that are still missing.  We must be the strength of our communities and the keeper of our children.  We must never give up this mission.  Never give up hope.”

Indeed, as yesterday’s developments in the Etan Patz case demonstrate, we can never give up on seeking justice for these children and their families.

Working together, we can and will make a difference for our children.