(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s task force on human trafficking wants a lot more people in the state to learn a lot more about the problems of forced prostitution.
The Speaker’s Task Force on Human Trafficking unveiled its report Wednesday.
Rep. Jerry O’Connor, R-Fond du Lac, said the task force spent months meeting with advocates, police and prosecutors and even former trafficked people to get a sense of the need in Wisconsin.
“At the end of the day, we want to know that we made a difference, and we just didn’t take up space here in the capital for four months,” O’Connor said at a statehouse news conference.
The task force is recommending several new laws, most of which would require more education on the issue of human trafficking.
“[One plan] will increase sex trafficking education awareness in our public schools. Remember 70% of these people drawn into this life are minors. In other words, they’re high school students, they could be junior high students,” O’Conor said. “[Another plan] provides for sex trafficking awareness training and schools of cosmetology, barbering, tattoos, and nails and massage and other specialty schools.”
There’s also a plan that would allow prosecutors to charge soliciting prostitution as a more serious felony and increase the sentence for soliciting from six years in prison to 10 years in prison.
O’Connor also said there will be a new Human Trafficking Council in the state.
“This will be staffed by individuals from various state agencies, from the Department of Justice, from different areas of law enforcement, and victims support groups, and not for profit groups that are working so tirelessly in this world,” O’Connor said. “Their assignments will be to bring their combined experience, to have additional time – this the four year time period – they will have to generate recommendations that we can take to the legislature and continue to increase our efficiency.”
