LANSING — Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette recognized President Donald Trump’s designation of January as Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month.

“Human trafficking has no place in Michigan, and I am proud of the work that my Department and law enforcement agencies across the state of Michigan have done to free survivors of trafficking, and prosecute the offenders,” said Schuette. “We will continue to fight against this modern form of slavery by bringing light into the darkness created by those that harm others.”

Human trafficking updates 2017:

• In 2017, Schuette charged and convicted numerous individuals with human trafficking or human trafficking related crimes.

• In March 2017, the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission, housed in Schuette’s department, released its annual report.

• In December, Assistant Attorney General Kelly Carter, head of the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Unit and chair of the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission, was named to Crain’s Detroit’s list of Notable Women Lawyers in Michigan.

Schuette also participated in continuing medical education programs, including an in-person training in Saginaw and a video training session with Wayne County Medical Society, to ensure that medical professionals know what to look for when working with possible trafficking victims.

New human trafficking laws for 2018:

• Often, human trafficking survivors have been arrested and charged with prostitution related charges which impede employment and educational opportunities. PA 35 of 2017 allows human trafficking victims to have their prostitution related charges diverted by the court if they are found to have been victims of human trafficking.

Human trafficking in Michigan, nationally:

• Second only to drug trafficking, human trafficking is the fastest-growing and second-largest criminal industry in the world, with an estimated 25 million people in the grips of human trafficking for both sex and labor. Victims of human trafficking are in bondage through force, fraud or coercion, solely for the purpose of sex or labor exploitation. Children are especially vulnerable, and existing data sources strongly suggest that the current reported human trafficking statistics do not provide a complete picture of the prevalence of human trafficking in Michigan.

Upon taking office in 2011, Schuette launched the state’s first Human Trafficking Unit in the Attorney General’s Office to prosecute human traffickers under state law. Since 2011, eleven people have been charged with human trafficking by the Department of Attorney General.

Schuette served as one of ten attorneys general nationwide selected to lead the National Association of Attorneys General Presidential Initiative on Combating Human Trafficking, called Pillars of Hope. Schuette has worked closely with fellow Attorneys General to craft a coordinated national strategy to combat human trafficking, including efforts to prosecute offenders, assist victims, analyze the impact of this crime and raise public awareness nationwide.

Schuette encourages citizens to take a few moments to learn more about human trafficking by visiting the following websites:

• State of Michigan at michigan.gov/

• Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force at mhttf.org

• Michigan State University at explore.michiganstateuniversityonline.com

• University of Michigan at umich.edu