Traffickers target individuals during vulnerable times, where needs and desires are heightened.
That’s one of the reasons Unbound BCS will start providing prevention and awareness education in the Brazos County Detention Center, where they’ll have the opportunity to interact with women reentering the community. Women leaving incarceration may have increased risk factors for trafficking, including housing instability, lack of employment, or previous history with substance abuse. By educating these women on the realities of trafficking, the tactics of traffickers, and the supportive resources available, Unbound hopes to prevent their victimization.
Another reason this education is so important is that human trafficking victims may not realize that’s what’s happening to them. Traffickers often manipulate their victims to make them believe that commercial sex is their choice or fault, or that there is no other way for them to live. Through human trafficking education, many women see the signs of trafficking in their own lives and reach out for help.
“What the agreement will allow to happen is for Unbound to come in to the facility and primarily provide education to people about what the signs of human trafficking are,” {Brazos County Jail Administrator Wayne} Dicky said. “We think that education will be valuable particularly to the women in custody. Not exclusively, but particularly to the women in custody so they kind of know what those scenarios look like.”
Check out this article from The Eagle for more information.