Thousands of young people in the US, and hundreds in Maryland, are sucked into human trafficking being forced or coerced into labor or sexual slavery each year. A fortunate few get free of their captors and a chance to put their lives back together in a safe place. On 23 woodsy acres in south Baltimore, a non-profit called The Samaritan Women runs the only long-term restoration program in the mid-Atlantic for adult women who have been trafficked. In its 19th-century mansion with windows embellished by stained glass, and a posse of purring black housecats, we met Katherine, who asked we only use her first name. She was in her early 20s when a trafficker lured her into his sex business in a western U.S. city. We also speak with Jeanne Allert, founder of The Samaritan Women.
Legislation that would allow victims of sex trafficking to go to any community college in Maryland without paying out-of-county tuition is currently being considered in the General Assembly.
