Resources

For Criminal Justice Agencies

Law enforcement and prosecutors are key players in the reduction of commercial sexual exploitation. See below a variety of survivor-centered practices, training, and resources.

Vacatur

Many survivors of commercial sexual exploitation have criminal records from their time in ‘the life’. These records are barriers to their continued healing and progression out of the sex trade, especially in opportunities for employment and housing. WA State RCW 9.96.070 was created specifically to create smoother pathways for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation to vacate their criminal records, but many challenges still exist.

Prioritize Vacatur Efforts for Survivors of CSE

  • Legal Hope, a nonprofit organization that supports and trains lawyers to work alongside survivors through their vacatur process pro bono, is leading the efforts to increase accessibility to vacatur in WA for survivors.

Survivor Centered Prosecution

It’s imperative to prioritize relationship-building to direct service agencies providing care to survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Advocates in direct service agencies are the best points of contact for the most survivor-centered, trauma-informed approach to walking alongside survivors through the criminal justice system.

Fines & Fees

Washington State Chapter 121 of House Bill 1291 is a very progressive and restorative piece of legislation that creates funding streams to support direct service agencies serving survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, as well as, support law enforcement agencies that embark on sex-buyer operations.

The dissemination of these fees is as such:

  • 50% to local direct service providers

  • 48% to the law enforcement agency that hosted the operation 

  • 2% to the Department of Commerce

The assessment rate of these fines and fees relative to the collection rate is one indicator of a community’s commitment to addressing commercial sexual exploitation. A high collection rate may signify active engagement between law enforcement and local prosecutor’s offices, whereas a low collection rate may signify waning interest in fully prosecuting sex buyers.

Overall, a primary challenge of assessing and collecting fines and fees is education; many county stakeholders indicated they were not aware of the legislation or even “where these funds ended up.” 

Continuation of the collection of fines and fees 

  • On principle, it is still important that sex buyers financially support the healing of survivors through a prosecution.

  • This guide can provide tactical assistance to prosecutors across the state to ensure the correct text is written into each sex-buyer’s judgment and sentencing paperwork.

  • This document outlines various avenues to uncovering these fees in your own locality, mentioned in the video below.