Three Human Trafficking Stings, $3M in Costs, Zero Transparency Let’s talk about the American tradition of the human trafficking sting  - part press conference, part moral panic, part budget sinkhole. Across the country, these branded operations promise to crack down on exploitation and rescue victims. But when the headlines fade, what are we actually left with? Mostly low-level charges, ambiguous outcomes, and taxpayer-funded theater. Today, we’re diving into three high-prof

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a time when headlines and press conferences often drown out the voices of those most affected.

In New Orleans, Calvin Duncan - a man who spent 30 years incarcerated for a murder conviction later vacated - has just been elected clerk of criminal court. His victory isn’t just historic; it’s a reminder that the people most harmed by the criminal legal system often understand its failures better than anyone else. 

There’s a story making headlines again - a powerful man, a teenage girl, and a media cycle eager to flatten everything into a tidy narrative about “trafficking.” But when you read past the outrage and into the details, something else becomes painfully clear: this isn’t a story about sex work.

Every few years, the anti-trafficking field releases another report diagnosing its own dysfunction. The Safehouse Project’s recent white paper is the latest to outline the emotional toll of the work, the predictable cycles of vicarious trauma, low wages, inconsistent leadership, and the churn that destabilizes survivor support.