Accomplishments

Our successes have ranged from day-to-day wins to a larger lasting multi-regional impact. Each step forward is an accomplishment worth celebrating, as it means we are one step closer to ending commercial sexual exploitation.

Survivor Impact

The EEC’s impact has been far-reaching, making an impact across Washington State, specifically on survivors of commercial sexual exploitation.

Between 2019-2021, the EEC consulted with direct service agencies in the 22 localities helping build relationships with direct service agencies and their local criminal justices agencies and provide access to Seattle Against Slavery’s Freedom Signal.

Since 2017, Freedom Signal has:

  • Reached over 37,000 potential victims across North America and they have received proactive outreach from services providers using this platform.

  • Identified over 15,000 unique phone numbers of potential trafficking victims.

  • Partnered with over 10 direct service agencies over North America and growing.

Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking’s (BEST) Safe Jobs program works with local service agencies to help survivors and people at risk of human trafficking find safe and stable employment.

The Safe Jobs program has:

  • Onboarded 28 employers to create employment opportunities for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation in a safe and trauma-informed environment. 

  • Employed 398 survivors of commercial sexual exploitation.

Criminal Justice Impact

The EEC has helped shift culture away from criminalizing survivors of CSE and toward those causing harm–the sex buyers.

Between 2019-2021 the EEC helped transform policies and practices by consulting with law enforcement and prosecutor agencies in 22 localities.

During these consultations, the EEC team:

  • Advised agencies on the best, survivor-centered and trauma-informed practices

  • Educatee agencies on the correct implementation of Washington state law focusing on sex-buyers

  • Connected field experts on sex-buyer law enforcement operations to other law enforcement agencies across WA state

  • Provided technical assistance for detection and prosecution of sex buyers

  • Trained 385 attorneys on current policies and practices supporting survivors of sexual exploitation 

From these consultations, fines, and fees associated with sexual penalty crimes increased by 40% from 2018-2021. This increase was the direct result of increased training and education for prosecutors and judges.

 

Maximum Possible Fees vs. Fees Assessed

SFY 2014 - SFY 2020

Community Engagement Impact

The EEC’s community organizing efforts laid the foundation for demand-focused groups in counties across Washington State, specifically in Spokane and Snohomish County. These groups increased communication and cross-sector collaboration around buyer accountability, while also creating more pathways to implementing progressive survivor-centered, trauma-informed practices.

The EEC has:

  • Supported the SSE program, which partners with 12 courts throughout WA state

  • Supported the expansion of the Trafficking Prevention for School’s Program, which partners with 16 schools across WA state

  • Trained 8,423 Employers and 57,986 employees completed BEST’s training between 2019-2021.