Join the movement - support victims of human trafficking in Virginia
Virginia's General Assembly Members
When it comes to laws protecting victims of human trafficking, Virginia has specific and limited criminal record relief laws. Thanks to HB2133 and HB2234, prostitution and bawdy house charges can now be erased from victims’ criminal records. However, this falls far short of the need as more than 60% of trafficking survivors have felony and misdemeanor charges imposed on them by their trafficker. When victims get charged for crimes they were forced to commit, those laws stay on their record.
In addition to this, the way the current legislation defines a victim of sex trafficking leaves minors who have had to engage in survival sex at severe risk and unable to access the relief these laws provide. This gap prevents them from accessing key services that would enable them to break the cycle of revictimization and move forward with their lives.
This is urgent. When victims of human trafficking get charged for crimes they were forced to commit, those laws stay on their record, making it harder to get jobs, housing, education, and more. A number of survivors don’t even have prostitutions or bawdy house charges, and yet the non-violent crimes on their record remain, keeping them trapped in vulnerable circumstances. Expanding the current legislation will allow all survivors to return to a more normal life and not have to relive their trauma every time they apply for something that requires a background check.
We’re asking Virginia state lawmakers to expand HB2133 and HB2234 so that charges related to both survival sex and non-violent crimes committed while under the control of a trafficker are wiped from their record. Because victims aren’t criminals.
Petition by
To:
Virginia's General Assembly Members
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Virginia Legislator,
We’d like to thank you for your critical support in enacting vacatur/expungement and affirmative defense legislation through HB2133 and HB2234, respectively. 2021 has been a key year for many survivors thanks to your efforts on their behalf.
The signed constituents are now seeking your help for the more than 60% of survivors who have been convicted of felonies and misdemeanors as a result of their trafficking. Restricting the above legislation to prostitution or bawdy house charges limits the relief available to those who need it the most.
In addition to this, the way the current legislation defines a victim of sex trafficking leaves minors who have had to engage in survival sex at severe risk and unable to access key services that would enable them to break the cycle of revictimization and move forward with their lives.
This is urgent. When victims of human trafficking get charged for crimes they were forced to commit, those crimes stay on their record, making it harder to get jobs, housing, education, custody of their children, and more. A number of survivors don’t even have prostitutions or bawdy house charges, and yet the non-violent crimes on their record remain, keeping them trapped in vulnerable circumstances.
We’re asking you to expand HB2133 and HB2234 so that no victim falls through the cracks, and felonies and misdemeanors that were committed while under the control of a trafficker are wiped from their record. Expanding these laws will allow survivors to return to a more normal life and not have to relive their trauma every time they apply for something that requires a background check. Because victims aren't criminals.