Convening

BUILDING ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS TO JUSTICE

June 26, 2025 - Presented by SJI Director Stephanie Richard and Lived-Experience Expert Mercy Gray, this training addressed how traditional prosecution often fails to meet the needs of trafficking survivors, who frequently face re-traumatization and lack meaningful support. Restorative Justice (RJ) offers a survivor-centered alternative that prioritizes agency, demands accountability, and addresses the root causes of trafficking.

This session explored how prosecutors can use their discretion to pursue RJ approaches that provide real relief and lasting outcomes for survivors—moving beyond punitive models toward true justice.

LESSONS FROM THE FRONTLINES: PROTECTING MIGRANT WORKERS IN CALIFORNIA

June 11, 2025 - SJI and Freedom United co-hosted a powerful conversation with former U.S. Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Ambassadors Luis C.deBaca and John Cotton Richmond. Together, they pulled back the curtain on how trafficking and exploitation are hiding in plain sight in California’s labor system and what the state can do about it. As part of a rare and united cohort of all living former TIP Ambassadors, both leaders offered exclusive insights into why they support California Assembly Bill 1362 (Kalra) and how this legislation could set a global precedent. Drawing on decades of experience advancing anti-trafficking efforts at the highest levels of government, the Ambassadors explored how California can lead the way in protecting vulnerable workers and confronting forced labor in supply chains.

Watch the recording of the panel and read the support letter from the Ambassadors.

FOCUS GROUPS: SURVIVOR & SERVICE PROVIDER FEEDBACK ON CALVCB

November 7, 2024 - SJI hosted four focus groups during the month of November — two for survivors and two for service providers — to gather feedback on the challenges of accessing income loss benefits through the California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB). A total of 21 survivors and 11 service providers shared valuable insights based on their experiences with these benefits, which are designed to address the financial impact of being deprived of the freedom to earn wages. This feedback has helped to inform our ongoing advocacy efforts to improve access to these critical benefits through CalVCB.

Watch our training on how survivors can access income loss benefits, and visit our page to read our report with recommendations for CalVCB, application materials, and information about support available.

CONFERENCE ON RESTORATIVE JUSTICE FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING SURVIVORS

July 26-27, 2025 - The Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative hosted a 2-day, in-person conference at Loyola Law School on July 26 and July 27, 2024. The conference was intended for survivors of human trafficking to learn about restorative justice and contribute to the development of an alternative approach that shifts away from the punitive model of the traditional legal system. Furthermore, we wanted to center the voice of survivors in a proposal to fund a pilot program in Los Angeles that utilizes a restorative justice approach in human trafficking cases.

Watch reflections from the conference and visit our page to learn more about our lived-experience experts who led the conference and provided feedback to improve our proposal.

YOUTH AT RISK: THE IMPACT OF LABOR TRAFFICKING BY FORCED CRIMINALITY

July 10, 2025 - SJI hosted an insightful panel discussion on labor trafficking by Forced Criminality (LTFC) and its impact on youth. Panelist explored the complex intersections of homelessness, gang involvement and LTFC, shedding light on how these vulnerable groups are targeted and exploited. Attendees heard powerful testimonies from individuals with lived experiences, offering a firsthand perspective on the challenges and realities faced by youth who are labor trafficked by forced criminality. The discussion also covered potential solutions and actionable steps that can be taken to address and mitigate the impact of LTFC on youth. You can view our recording by following the link below.

Watch the recording of the panel and visit our page to learn more about the experts who participated.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING FORUM

June 30, 2023 - The Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative, in collaboration with the RISE Clinic, hosted a session with prosecutors from the District Attorney's Office and Survivors of Human Trafficking to discuss bail reform and pre-trial release conditions and how this impacts survivor safety.

Visit our event page to meet the leaders who gathered for this important discussion.

SJI LEADS AN INCLUSIVE AND DIVERSE TEAM TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND PUBLIC SAFETY

February 8, 2022 - SJI established a team of experts to provide testimony on a non-carceral intersectional approach to preventing trafficking and increase public safety for both survivors and the general public. Along with SJI directors, SJI convened with USC’s International Human Rights Clinic, Survivor Consultant Adrianna Griffith, Stephanie Richard from LLS’s Rise Clinic, and more. Explore the speaker biographies and reports presented to learn more about this convening.

CONVENING