The Dressember Network: Legal Services and Policy Reform
Kelly, a survivor of human trafficking, told the Polaris Project, “Every time I sent [my application for a potential job] in, I got it returned. It was frustrating. I was finally just going to forget it and say to myself ‘I just won’t ever get a job doing [what I want] because everyone is going to judge me and I have to keep reliving my past.’”
Kelly, like many other survivors, has a criminal record as a result of being forced to engage in illegal activity.
Her situation is not unique, and, unfortunately, criminal records hold survivors back, impacting their ability to obtain employment, housing, education, benefits and financial assistance, immigration relief or adjustment of status and family stability. Solving the issue of criminal charges for forced crimes requires a holistic approach to providing survivors with access to the resources that they need for successful reentry into society.
Jill, another survivor, told the Polaris Project, “When you have to put down prostitution on an application for a job or an apartment, there’s so much shame in that.” Survivors are forced to relive their trauma each time they are asked to report any crimes that they have committed, particularly because these illegal acts are the very ones which they were forced to do against their will. Not only do survivors face difficulty in seeking gainful employment, but the trauma of constantly being required to report an activity that they did not do by choice can leave survivors feeling hopeless at the lack of options or resources available to them. Survivors need access to the tools that can allow them to prevent the need to continue revisiting their trauma.
Ummra, another survivor, said, “I do not choose to identify as a prostitute, but that was what the penal code said I am. Just knowing that the law has labeled me as such played a part in the trauma and getting past this label is part of the healing.” Not only does the penal code identify survivors in a way that is often different from the identities they would give themselves, but survivors are also routinely burdened with numerous records in multiple jurisdictions, requiring a comprehensive national approach. As a result, survivors who are identified by the crimes they have been forced to commit across state lines can be plagued with repeated legal actions in different jurisdictions. It is critical that there be a national approach to this issue, as a result.
The Dressember Network offers survivors resources to re-enter society, tools to stop revisiting criminal charge trauma, and a national approach through support for the Survivor Reentry Project, a program with pro bono commitment of six national law firms to help screen survivors, analyze criminal records, create a strategy for clearing eligible offenses, and expand access to criminal record relief.
The Survivor Reentry Project (SRP) is the only national clearinghouse dedicated to supporting criminal record relief for survivors of human trafficking.
SRP staff provide detailed information on state-level criminal record relief nationwide, and support local efforts to advocate for expanded access to relief. SRP staff and partners provide outreach and education to service providers nationwide to ensure that providers understand that criminal record relief may be available, have access to training and technical assistance in representing survivors in these matters, and are able to provide appropriate referrals to survivors. SRP staff, in partnership with pro bono attorneys and nonprofit partners, provide direct representation to survivors looking to clear their records.
The impact is remarkable.
So far since 2019, 34 survivors are receiving assistance with criminal record relief. They have a total of 586 convictions spanning across 27 states. The cases have been placed with 18 different pro bono providers across 27 states. The oldest convictions are from 1976 while the newest are from earlier this year. The oldest survivor to reach out is 65 while the youngest is 26. Across groups, SRP is able to effect real change in the lives of survivors. This program can allow survivors like Kelly, Jill, and Ummra the opportunity to have their criminal records cleared so that each of them can move forward in a way that is sustainable and allows them to feel secure.
As advocates, we can begin to support survivors with criminal records by understanding our own biases and prejudices toward those with criminal records, particularly those whose records include sex work. A great place to start is by understanding the myths surrounding prostitution. It is by challenging our own biases and beliefs that we can work to end human trafficking once and for all.
The Dressember Network is made up of 20 organizations that support programs in the following impact areas: advocacy, prevention, intervention, and survivor empowerment. The Dressember Network partners with Freedom Network USA to help survivors to clear their criminal records for successful reentry into society. Freedom Network USA is a national alliance of experienced advocates working with survivors of all forms of human trafficking to ensure that trafficked persons have access to justice, safety, and opportunity. When you support Dressember, you help dismantle trafficking holistically and in a way that prioritizes survivor needs and voices. Ready to join us? Register to become an advocate or make a donation today.
About the Author
Miranda Cecil is a second-year at Northeastern University School of Law. She graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2020 (go heels!) and shipped up to Boston. As a North Carolina transplant in New England, she loves exploring her new area on the weekends. In her free time, she enjoys cross-stitching, cycling, and reading. She hopes to use her legal degree and a passion for urban development to continue advocating for human trafficking survivors (and, despite the Boston winter, looks forward to the style challenge this December).