Human Trafficking in the Midwest: A Case Study of St. Louis and the Bi-State Area

Human Trafficking in the Midwest reveals the existence of the various forms of human trafficking evident in St. Louis, Missouri and the bi-state area, and the efforts that are being made at the community, social service, and legal levels to improve the lives of those who have been identified as victims/survivors of human trafficking. The book was developed through research with community leaders, social service providers, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and survivors of human trafficking in St. Louis and the bi-state area. The data set was built on two years of interviews, surveys, and field observations. The second edition includes the addition of new human trafficking laws that have been enacted in Missouri and Illinois, modifications to the existing human trafficking laws/penalties, updated cases and data, and new interviews. Human Trafficking in the Midwest is unique in that it moves beyond advocacy-based research and approaches the topic of human trafficking in the United States from a sociological, criminological, and political science perspective. It adds to the extant literature on human trafficking in the United States by presenting a case study that examines forced labor and sexual exploitation in the Midwest. Finally, the book recognizes that anti-trafficking efforts involve a combination of community leaders, social service providers, and legal groups focused on identifying and assisting victims of trafficking while, at the same time, reducing trafficking through education and prosecution.