Criminal Record Relief

Survivors of human trafficking have criminal records because they were forced into commercial sex, or drug sales, or other offenses. Many, but not all states have recognized that this is fundamentally unfair and that survivors of human trafficking deserve the chance to have those records cleared. 

The American Bar Association’s Survivor Reentry Project, Brooklyn Law School, the University of Baltimore School of Law, and Polaris launched a joint report rating all 50 states and D.C. on the effectiveness of their criminal record relief laws for survivors of human trafficking. 

Polaris issued a statement hailing the announcement by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam that he is commuting the life sentence of Cyntoia Brown.

Our justice system needs to provide victims with the tools required to help them rebuild their lives.