Black Women Organized for Political Action - BWOPA - California Women Lead, the National Women's Political Caucus, California, Leadership California, the California Commission on the Status of Women and HOPE - Hispanas Organized for Political Equality - comprise the coalition of organizations spearheading the Read the whole story...

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.