A Look at Custodial Parents and Child Support in the United States
January 22, 2016
County Attorney Lando VoylesBy Lando Voyles, County Attorney, Pinal County
Pinal County is the third largest county in Arizona. In the heart of the Sun Corridor, Pinal County is roughly the size of Connecticut. Our jurisdiction includes rugged desert terrain, rural communities and some of the fastest growing urban areas in the country.
Located 80 miles north of the U.S./Mexican border, the county has two major interstates along with miles of rural roadways. Most illegal activity including human trafficking from the southern border funnels through Pinal County. Our county faces tremendous challenges in battling all forms of human trafficking. This includes sex and labor exploitation involving children, adults, men and women.
In 2014, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office was fortunate to receive a grant from the Administration for Children and Families. This grant assists individuals and organizations to better identify foreign victims of human trafficking. It also helps refer victims to agencies that could help restore their lives.
We planned for a 36 month project that involved:
- Training and technical assistance
- Public awareness
- Outreach activities
The project, currently known as Pinal County Rescue and Restore, is coordinated out of the Family Advocacy Center. The center was selected due to its existing multidisciplinary team of professionals. As the County Attorney, I recognize that no one discipline alone can meet the complex investigation, prosecution and human service needs of foreign or domestic trafficking victims.
During the first year of funding, we brought together key community stakeholders. These were individuals we felt could help us identify even one victim. We trained ourselves to recognize indicators of trafficking to lessen our chances of missing victims.
We formed a Rescue and Restore coalition that included:
- Law enforcement
- Trafficking survivors
- Medical personnel
- Mental health providers
- Those who could offer shelter and housing
- Special Victims’ Unit prosecutors
- Victim advocates
- Members of the faith-based community
- Juvenile and adult probation personnel
- Specialists at the Family Advocacy Center
This group ensures that when victims were identified, they were met with kindness, offered safety, and basic needs were taken care of. The coalition meets regularly. Members have donated resources such as safe houses, transportation monies, clothing and other services.
During the past two years, extensive training has been provided throughout Pinal County with an emphasis on first responders. We also hosted an event with “Truckers Against Trafficking.” We brought together the trucking industry with local, state and federal law enforcement to network and join efforts to combat human trafficking. In addition to training, Rescue and Restore members work tirelessly to bring public attention to possible signs of human trafficking. We know that victims walk among us in our communities.
With guidance from trafficked survivors and other experts in human trafficking, grant funds allowed us to design public service announcements in the form of billboards, radio and television. The PSAs, in both English and Spanish, encourage victims or others who know of victims, to get help by calling the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888.
We wanted to be sure to offer a comprehensive response when victims needed help. To this end, our program developed a local response protocol for victims needing immediate assistance – whether they called the national hotline or were identified by others. It is noteworthy that this protocol was approved by signature of all police chiefs in Pinal County.
Since many victims don’t self-identify, grant funds allow us to create a presence in outreach efforts throughout the county. While we do participate in public events such as immigration night, we prefer not to reveal specific outreach activities. As a result, victims, Rescue and Restore staff and volunteers are not placed in danger.
Federal funding through our award offered Pinal County the opportunity to build a foundation so that our communities can better identify victims. It also allowed us to offer them a means of recovery from their exploitation. During the past two years, we have had the privilege of serving human trafficked victims whereas prior to receiving the grant we likely missed these opportunities. Our Pinal County Rescue and Restore program is the heart and soul of our anti-trafficking efforts. And, our community is invested in sustaining this program.
