Blog entry by New America Media.
Last updated at Thu, 15 Dec at 7:18am.

By Vivian Po, New America Media

Article by Eric K Arnold.
Last updated at Sat, 18 Dec at 10:52am.

Back in 2000, the campaign against California's Proposition 21(the "Gang Violence and Juvenile Crime Prevention Initiative") was historically significant because it combined political activism and community advocacy from a youth-centric point of view. Much of that activism happened right here in Oakland.

 

Article by Barbara Grady.
Last updated at Fri, 14 May at 4:40pm.

by Barabara Grady and Sarah Terry-Cobo

This is Part 5 of an eight-part, four-day Oakland Local investigative series on youth sex trafficking.


In Alameda County, Deputy District Attorney Sharmin Eshraghi Bock
has been on a hard-fought campaign to change California law.

Together with state Assemblyman Sandre Swanson (D-Oakland), Bock has crafted laws that switch the criminalization in prostitution to the pimps and johns and away from girls. They successfully drafted and pushed through law AB 499, which recognizes that youth who are traded are victims in this crime who deserve services. They also drafted, introduced and ushered into law AB 17, which toughened the sentencing of and restitution required from convicted pimps.

However, the biggest challenge is convicting the pimps. It's difficult for police even to have grounds to arrest them...

Article by Barbara Grady.
Last updated at Wed, 12 May at 6:05am.

This is Part 7 of an eight-part, four-day Oakland Local investigative series on youth sex trafficking.


A 14-year-old from Southern California was kidnapped
near her father's home and brought to Mexico. There, her kidnapper forced her into commercial sex.

Police found and arrested the trafficker. However, the girl was far too traumatized to be released back to her father -- and to the tough neighborhood from where she was kidnapped.

Luckily, a faith community at Oakland's First Covenant Church recognizes that kids like this need special care and therapy before they can be expected to resume the lives they've led before...

Article by Barbara Grady.
Last updated at Thu, 6 May at 7:45am.

This is Part 3 of an eight-part, four-day Oakland Local investigative series on youth sex trafficking. Continued from Part 1 and Part 2.

Recession slices with a double-edged sword into efforts to rescue young victims of sex trafficking from the streets. On the one hand, joblessness and foreclosures at levels higher than have been seen in a generation are pounding families, bringing out stresses and conflicts that cause youth to run away.

On the other hand, the recession has taken away resources to help troubled and homeless youth – as well as reduced resources for arresting traffickers.