Successes
End Demand Illinois and our partners have achieved several successes in the first two years of the campaign.
Legislative Successes
Our policy committee led the passage of two laws that offer protections to survivors of the sex trade:
- The Illinois Safe Children Act is the first law in the nation to make minors immune from prosecution for prostitution. Read more about the law here.
- The Justice for Victims of Sex Trafficking Crimes Act offers survivors of sex trafficking the opportunity to have prostitution convictions removed from their records. Read more about the law here.
Signs of Progress in the News
We are beginning to see signs that law enforcement is refocusing attention on pimps, johns and traffickers. Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart have stepped up as important leaders in this effort. The following news stories highlight recent signs of progress:
- In Cook County’s first trafficking case, Bonaparte sentenced to 18 years (July 12, 2011)
- Twins charged with human trafficking (May 26, 2011)
- Pekin nets 19 johns in sting (April 17, 2011)
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Woman in Pilsen Charged with Human Trafficking (Nov 24, 2010)
The End Demand Illinois campaign is shifting law enforcement's attention to sex traffickers and people who buy sex, while creating a network of support for survivors of the sex trade.
