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Ann Arbor to host inaugural statewide conference on human trafficking

Human Trafficking photo
Scott Pohl
/
WKAR
Jane White of the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force (L) and Judge Michelle Rick.

A conference this week in Ann Arbor aims to fight human trafficking in our state. We talk with the director of the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force, Jane White, and Judge Michelle Rick, a member of the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission.

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center reports that in 2015, Michigan officials received more than 700 calls related to human trafficking. Human trafficking is the practice of coercing someone into forced labor or sexual slavery.

A conference this week in Ann Arbor seeks to find strategies to eliminate the crisis in Michigan. The gathering is the first of its kind ever held in the state.

Current State discusses the scope of human trafficking in Michigan with Michelle Rick, a judge in the 29th Circuit Court covering Clinton and Gratiot counties. She’s a member of the Michigan Human Trafficking Commission. We also talk with Jane White, director of the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force.

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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