Los Angeles DA Gascón Announces Human Trafficking Diversion Program
Individuals who have been identified as trafficking victims and face misdemeanor or non-serious, non-violent felony charges are eligible for the program, said DA George Gascón.
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Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is joining forces with public defenders and nonprofit organizations to establish the county’s first Human Trafficking Diversion Court program, reports the Daily Breeze. The program aims to divert victims of human trafficking away from the criminal justice system and into a trauma-informed holistic system of care. The program will offer a variety of services, including individual and group counseling for alcohol and substance abuse, mental health treatment, job training, career opportunities, educational and financial planning, resume services and criminal record clearing.
Individuals who have been identified as trafficking victims and face misdemeanor or non-serious, non-violent felony charges are eligible for the program. Participants are referred to Human Trafficking Court by defense attorneys, prosecutors or law enforcement agencies. The suitability of each participant will be decided by a judge who will also be empowered to dismiss and vacate the person’s arrest, convictions and probation violations upon their completion of the program. Pallavi Garg, an attorney for Free to Thrive, a nonprofit that provides trafficking victims legal and support services, said about 90 percent of the agency’s clients have a criminal record tied to their trafficking experience and most had never been arrested before they were trafficked.
