Human Trafficking Victim Services Expansion Programming at Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center

Jane Heystek

Pronouns: she/her

Research Mentor(s): LaNeice Jones
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center / NonUM
Program: UROP
Session: Session 7 (4:40pm – 5:30pm)
Authors: Jane Heystek, LaNeice Jones

Abstract

The United States of America, revered for being a leading developed nation, has the second highest prison population in the world. This mass incarceration of individuals, while intended for public safety, results in repercussions that are felt throughout the communities these individuals will one day re-enter. The mission of the Southwest Detroit Community Justice Center (SWDCJC) is to decrease recidivism rates among low-level offenders as well as provide people with opportunities to better themselves and their community through education, community service, and employment. By partnering with local organizations and increasing the mutual trust of the judicial system, the work of the SWDCJC has undoubtedly made a positive impact on the people of Detroit. However, this nonprofit organization needs government funding in order to support its operations. This research project has centered around the collaboration and composition of grant requests in order to bolster the organization’s financial resources for the continuation of their work. At the onset of the UROP partnership with SWDCJC, the grant proposal “Human Trafficking Victim Services Expansion Programming” was drafted and submitted. This award, given by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, would allow the organization to augment its current Prostitution Offenders Program, which educates male offenders charged for attempting to solicit individuals with compensation for the purpose of sexual gratification. The current grant proposal being drafted is for the purpose of obtaining funding for a sexual assault survivors program. While decisions on the grants have not yet been released, the research conducted in order to submit them has unveiled the troubling nature of human trafficking and its prevalence in Detroit.

Community Engaged