Crime, Law and Social Change
Volume 61, Issue 2, 2014, Pages 205-214

When farmworkers and advocates see trafficking but law enforcement does not: Challenges in identifying labor trafficking in North Carolina (Article)

Barrick K.* , Lattimore P.K. , Pitts W.J. , Zhang S.X.
  • a RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, NC, 27709-2194, United States
  • b RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, NC, 27709-2194, United States
  • c RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, NC, 27709-2194, United States
  • d Department of Sociology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-4423, United States

Abstract

This article reports on the perceptions and experiences with labor trafficking of farmworkers, stakeholders, and law enforcement representatives in North Carolina. We found a sizeable number of farmworkers who had experienced labor trafficking violations, albeit with a convenience sample; and community agencies reported stories of labor trafficking victimization. However, most of the state and local law enforcement agencies that we attempted to contact simply ignored our requests for information about labor trafficking or reported no evidence of such victimization. Notwithstanding the sample limitations, we found a general lack of awareness of agricultural labor trafficking problems among law enforcement officials in our surveyed jurisdictions. We question whether our current law enforcement system will ever be in a position to effectively enforce the anti-labor-trafficking law; and suggest an alternative specialized mechanism be established. © 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84897028476&doi=10.1007%2fs10611-013-9509-z&partnerID=40&md5=16a5c43373e7ba49232e2d7adcd11625
DOI: 10.1007/s10611-013-9509-z
ISSN: 09254994
Cited by: 20
Original Language: English