As plans proceed to shift the Texas juvenile justice system to a more community-based model, policymakers, juvenile justice officials, and service providers would be wise to consider ways to overcome the barriers to expansion of local residential options for adjudicated youth.
Criminal Justice
Prosecute Traffickers, Not Victims
The central paradox of human trafficking is that victims, not traffickers, are most likely to face criminal charges. In fact, an individual is more likely to be struck by lightning than prosecuted for trafficking. Which begs the question, why? How Traffickers Turn Victims into Defendants To start, prosecutors and law enforcement act on the best available information...
September 1, 2026