The League of Women Voters opposes all forms of domestic and international human traffi cking of adults and children, including sex traffi cking and labor traffi cking. We consider human traffi cking to be a form of modern-day slavery and believe that every measure should be taken, and every effort should be made through legislation and changes in public policy to prevent human traffi cking. Prosecution and penalization of traffi ckers and abusers should be established, and existing laws should be strictly enforced. Extensive essential services for victims should be applied where needed. (2025 LWVCO Positions for Action, p. 131)

In 2019, the League supported a bill that provided protections for minors who are victims of human traffi cking. Protections include an immunity from a prostitution charge and provision of an affi rmative defense for criminal violations except for a class 1 felony. (2025 LWVCO Positions for Action, p. 132)

Sentencing — judgment made after an individual has been declared to be guilty: Consider the individual circumstances of the person charged and nature of the crime, rather than mandatory minimum sentences. (2024-2026 LWVUS Impact on Issues, p. 138)

LWVUS believes alternatives to imprisonment should be explored and utilized, taking into consideration the circumstances and nature of the crime. (2024-26 LWVUS Impact on Issues, p. 185)
In 2017, the League supported the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2017. This legislation aimed to give judges discretion to reduce juvenile life-without-parole sentences after 20 years, allow compassionate release of more people over the age of 60, and essentially ban juvenile solitary confi nement in the federal system. (2024-26 LWVUS Impact on Issues, p. 185)

The League steadfastly opposes human traffi cking and believes human traffi ckers should be severely punished. However, the new defi nition of human traffi cking of a minor for sexual servitude is broad and can include human traffi cking victims. The further broadening of the crime by this initiative to include persons knowingly trading anything of monetary value to buy or sell sexual activity with a minor makes the prosecution of human traffi cking victims more likely. There are also concerns that the new defi nition of human traffi cking of a minor for sexual servitude is vague enough to include parents assisting out-of-state children obtain reproductive and gender-affi rming care.

Additionally, the initiative mandates prison sentences of life without parole or release for all those convicted of this crime, without consideration of the circumstances of the crime and individuals’ situations and roles. The League believes judges should have discretion in sentencing guilty persons and should take into account the circumstances of the crime and the defendant’s situation and role.