Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

Over the past several years Los Angeles County has seen a significant increase in the number of commercially sexually exploited youth, and is recognized among law enforcement as one of the major hubs for Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) in the State of California and the nation. Only recently, the County lacked victim centered services for sexually trafficking youth who are in the juvenile justice system that serve as alternatives to detention, placement and aftercare supports. Other challenges included limited agency and community collaboration and lack of reliable data documenting the results of services and system response. In an effort to respond to these challenges, two Probation Managers in Los Angeles County developed a program that will effectively address the issue of sex trafficking and will implement rehabilitative services for victims of trafficking. Due to their efforts, the Los Angeles County Probation Department and its collaborative partners implemented a multi-agency response to improve outcomes for sexually trafficked youth. The coordinated multi-agency protocol involves: 1) rescue and identification of Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (youth); 2) a comprehensive medical and mental health evaluation; 3) assessment to determine the appropriate placement need (i.e., detention, non-secure detention alternative, foster care, or release home) and referral to DMST collaborative court as an alternative to current juvenile justice proceedings and judicial case monitoring; and 4) enrollment in a 18-24 months DMST treatment program and aftercare. The effectiveness of the program is being evaluated through data collection on subsequent prostitution arrests, stabilized placement, and successful program completion and transition to the community.