Meet Runners who are Racing for CAASE!

Our Race for CAASE team has come together, and we are already impressed by their dedication to training, fundraising, and spreading the word about ending sex trafficking and sexual assault.

On September 9, 2012, there are 32 runners who will be racing in the Chicago Half Marathon to raise support for all of CAASE’s work. So far, they’re off to an incredible start—rallying to train and fundraise. With an overall goal of $17,000 and over $7,000 raised so far, the team is already well over 1/3 of the way there.

 

Racing 13.1 miles to end sexual exploitation is a big commitment. You can support the team by visiting their page here and making a donation. You can boost an individual runner’s goal by giving through their personal pages, or you can give to the effort in general here.

So who are some of these runners? We interviewed a few of CAASE’s interns who will be running the Half Marathon so you can see yourself!

Name: Kendra Harding
Age: 23

Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa

Occupation: Student/Intern at CAASE

Running Experience: I have run 5Ks and 10Ks for the past 7 years. I also ran my first Half-Marathon last January.

How did you find out about CAASE?

I was reading Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd of GEMS and on the back I saw a reference to CAASE. I immediately Googled it and learned everything I could about it.

Why is running for CAASE important to you?

I think CAASE is an amazing organization and I think it’s important that I support it because it has a lot of the same beliefs about society that I do. Plus, I love running.

View Kendra's Fundraising Page Here!

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Name: Rachel Johnson

Age: 27

Hometown: Oak Park, Illinois

Occupation: Law student/Legal intern at CAASE

Running Experience: Elementary school gym class.

How did you find out about CAASE? Through working in the public interest legal company. Also, my mentor at law school interned here.

Is there any specific part of CAASE’s work/mission that interests you the most?

I would say in general, I really love CAASE’s holistic approach to ending demand in sexual exploitation through educational policy and legal policy. But as a law student, I’m specifically interested in how CAASE uses the law to promote equality and end sexual exploitation.

Why is running for CAASE important to you?

I believe in the work that we do here and I believe in the community here. I want to support it through academic and volunteer work, but also financially and with team effort.

View Rachel's Fundraising Page Here!

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Name: Margaret Livingston

Age: 26

Hometown: Glen Ellyn, Illinois

Occupation: Student/Legal Intern at CAASE

Running Experience: On and off.

How did you find out about CAASE? Lynne Johnson, CAASE's Policy and Advocacy Director, spoke at the Organization of Women and Trade at John Marshall Law School in the fall, and after I heard her speak I just hounded them in the fall to see when they were taking applications.

Is there any specific part of CAASE’s work/mission that interests you the most?

The Sexual Assault Justice Project. That’s what I work on and that’s really important because a lot of people who would otherwise have no access to legal aid or might be deterred from seeking justice can find a legal advocate here. I also think that the End Demand campaign is extremely important.

Why is running for CAASE important to you?

I thought it’d be a really fun way to get to know people outside of the office. The legal work can be challenging but fulfilling, and I wanted to continue challenging myself outside of my work life. 

View Margaret's Fundraising Page Here!

Want to support the Race for CAASE Team? Visit their Razoo team fundraising page here, and share with a friend!

This post is by Sasha Wolff, CAASE's communications intern.

104 Pimps Arrested in FBI Sting

 CAASE and the End Demand Illinois campaign are working to raise awareness about the need for specialized, trauma-informed services for survivors of the sex trade. To learn more, read the proposal here.

News broke today that in a nationwide FBI sting, law enforcement brought in 79 minors who were being prostituted and arrested more than 100 pimps who had been exploiting minors in the sex trade. It’s a great sign of progress that law enforcement resources are being devoted to finding traffickers and holding them accountable, but as we look forward more must be done to offer resources to those who are trying to leave the sex trade. From the Chicago Tribune and Reuters:

Seventy-nine teenagers held against their will and forced into prostitution were rescued at hotels, truck stops and storefronts in a three-day sweep of sex-trafficking rings across the United States, law enforcement officials said on Monday.

The FBI said 104 alleged pimps were arrested during sting operations in 57 U.S. cities including Atlanta, Sacramento, and Toledo, Ohio. The operation lasted between Thursday and Saturday and involved state and local authorities as well as the FBI.

It’s a huge victory that 104 pimps were arrested, and we applaud this effort. It will send a strong message to other traffickers. However, the media coverage of this sting reveals that there is much left to be done to deepen understanding about the realities of the sex trade. The use of the words “teenage prostitute” and images of young people being held in handcuffs are the focus of the articles, while customers or “johns” remain invisible. No mention is made of the people who were buying sex from these teenagers and children, nor whether any customers were arrested in this sting.

In Illinois under the 2010 Safe Children Act, all minors in prostitution are considered victims of sex trafficking, and the words “juvenile prostitution” have been removed from our state law. Illinois is a leader in this area, as many states do not have laws recognizing that any and all minors in prostitution are being exploited by adults and deserve our help.

As law enforcement focuses attention on sex trafficking, the need for services for survivors of the trade becomes even more apparent. Where will these young people go to seek specialized services for their needs? In interviews with service providers around the country, CAASE has heard the need for specialized, trauma-informed, supportive services for survivors of the sex trade. These services do not exist for prostituted adults in Illinois, and only a few spaces are available for minors. CAASE and our End Demand Illinois campaign will soon be releasing have released a report on the need for specialized services for survivors of the sex trade. Read the proposal here, and see how services can help young people who are trying to leave the trade.

If you are interested in learning more about these issues, sign up for our campaign action alerts here. Stay tuned for more about our proposal for services in the coming weeks.

*Note: This post was updated on 7/24 to include the links to CAASE's full proposal for services for survivors of the sex trade.

Today! Take Action to Help Pass the Violence Against Women Act

Tuesday, June 26 is a national day of action for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and we urge you to tweet and Facebook and shout from the rooftops about the importance of this bill. Need to learn more before taking action? Visit the National Taskforce to End Violence Against Women's website: http://4vawa.org/.

Since we’re in Chicago, here are some actions we can take:

1.      Make a Call  to House and Senate leadership and insist that they stop the posturing, solve the procedural problems and move quickly to conference. You can use this script:

I urge you to pass a bipartisan VAWA reauthorization bill, like S.1925, that protects ALL victims of violence-doing nothing is not an option. (VAWA has positively impacted me/my community in the following way: _______________. )  You are our leaders and we know you care about VAWA, so please find a unanimous consent motion all Senators can agree to, solve the blue slip problem, and free VAWA for final negotiations before you leave for vacation. We will not settle for stalemate. We want a final VAWA this summer so that VAWA programs and services can continue to serve victims and make our communities safer.   

Who to call:

• Your Member of Congress, (202)224-3121
• Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), (202) 225-0600
• Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), (202) 225-4000
• Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), (202) 225-0100
• Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), (202) 224-3542
• Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), (202) 224-3135
• Chair of the Democratic Conference Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), (202) 224-6542

 2. Tweet!  Be sure to use these hashtags!  #ReauthorizeVAWA, #RealVAWA and #VAWA 

Sample tweets include:

• Congress must pass the #RealVAWA bf their July 4^th vacation.  Join National 10 days of #Action4VAWA to tell them why:  http://bit.ly/Lj18KQ
• I’m joining National 10 Days of #Action4VAWA to tell Congress to pass #RealVAWA bc I want ALL survivors to be safe.  http://bit.ly/Lj18KQ
• [Fill in your Congress Person’s twitter handle]:  Pass the #RealVAWA for ALL survivors!  I’m standing up to take #Action4VAWA: http://bit.ly/Lj18KQ
• @johnboehner, HR4970 is not the #RealVAWA, take up the Senate version & protect all victims of violence!

Find more sample tweets here: http://4vawa.org/

3. Take it to Facebook!
Join the National 10 Days of Action for VAWA Facebook page and check back for updates! Post the information, flyers and posters to your Facebook page. Post survivor stories and other information about VAWA  to your FB page and check out our FB page for posts you can share.

•  “As a member of this body, as a survivor of sexual assault, battery, and from age five through my teenage years, through my early adulthood, I can tell you that it is very traumatic to be here in this body today and to find my colleagues not taking the recommended updates…” – @RepGwenMoore (D-Wis). Tell your reps to vote for the Real VAWA http://bit.ly/PIK9zJ

• LGBT people experience violence at the same rates as all communities but have fewer places to turn and face discrimination when seeking services.  VAWA must support ALL survivors!  Support survivors, support VAWA. http://4vawa.org/

Thanks for taking action!

Responding to Alleged Police Misconduct

According to WGN, a Chicago Police officer is under investigation for misconduct after "exchanging sexual favors" with an individual who had been arrested for prostitution. The police officer had been assigned to the lockup where the person was being held.  We are glad that the Chicago Police Department has taken action to investigate this case and has relieved the officer of his duties.

Unfortunately, many people in prostitution have experienced exploitation at the hands of police. In Jody Raphael’s study, Sisters Speak Out, twenty-four percent of women in prostitution on the streets who had been raped stated a police officer was the perpetrator. This statistic is indicative of the violence that prostituted people endure. It’s critical that allegations of exploitation be taken seriously, and we encourage CPD to continue to take appropriate action to hold this officer accountable.

CAASE and the End Demand Illinois campaign advocate for an end to the habitual arrest of prostituted people. To learn more and to sign up for action alerts, visit www.enddemandillinois.org/subscribe

  

Chicago Tribune Features CAASE's Curriculum for Young Men

If we want to stop exploitation, we must prevent it from occurring in the first place. CAASE’s curriculum for young men in high school aims to do just that, and we’re thrilled that Chicago Tribune columnist Barbara Brotman has featured the program in her column. Read the whole story here. From the article:

Efforts to stop sexual exploitation have traditionally been aimed at women, said Rachel Durchslag, executive director of the alliance. But "as long as there is someone who will open up their pocketbook to purchase sex, there will be people who will supply it," she said.

Young men in the class at Rauner College Prep were extremely engaged, thoughtful and interested in taking action. Many thanks to them and their teachers for participating in the curriculum. To learn more, or to bring the curriculum to a high school in your community, visit our Prevention page.

Springfield Police Help Woman Who Was Harmed in the Sex Trade

Most people in prostitution report that they endure violence in the sex trade. In one study, women in prostitution identified johns (customers) as the number one perpetrators of this violence. When police in Springfield encountered a woman in prostitution who had been robbed at gunpoint by a john, they did the right thing. From the State Journal-Register:

“The woman said that after the sex act was completed, the man attempted to pay her $10 instead of $20. She argued with him, and the man displayed a handgun and threatened to kill her.

When officers arrived, the woman realized her purse had been stolen.

Officers checked the area, but were unable to locate the man. The woman said she had recently met him, and she didn’t know where he lived.

The woman did not suffer any injuries. She was not arrested for prostitution because of the circumstances, the police report said.”

Law enforcement in this case considered the woman’s safety as being of the foremost importance, and they did not arrest her for prostitution. We applaud the Springfield police for recognizing that this woman was the victim of a crime and worthy of their help.

Violent johns like the one this woman encountered must be deterred. To learn more about addressing the demand for commercial sex in your community, sign up for our End Demand Illinois action alerts.

Prostitution Sting in Naperville Ignores Johns

Four women and two men were arrested in a prostitution sting last week in the Chicago suburb of Naperville. While it is encouraging to see that law enforcement apparently arrested pimps, there was no mention of arrests of people who buy sex, often referred to as johns, who continue to fuel the demand for the sex trade. According to the story on Fox Chicago: 

"Members of the police Special Operations Group for several years have monitored a number of social networking websites, where suspected prostitutes and their pimps have advertised a variety of 'personal services' for sale. Undercover police officers have then arranged meetings with the suspects..."

For every woman in prostitution, there are customers in the community who are buying sex. However, no customers were mentioned by the reporter in this story.

We must stop ignoring customers. The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation interviewed 113 johns in our study "Deconstructing the Demand." The majority of johns said that they could be deterred from buying sex if they faced any consequences for their actions—arrest or having their cars towed. Very few had ever faced consequences for their crimes (only 7% in our study had ever been arrested).

Instead, johns who read this story online or in their local papers will learn that law enforcement continues to ignore them and instead arrests prostituted women and girls. We hope that an investigation into potential human trafficking will also be made in this case, in light of the fact that pimps seem to be involved.

We urge reporters to ask about issues of demand and human trafficking. Those living in Naperville and other Chicago suburbs who want to end prostitution should encourage their law enforcement to arrest johns. Without demand, there would be no prostitution.To find out how you can help and to sign up for our action alerts, visit End Demand Illinois.