Human Trafficking Prevention Project

The Human Trafficking Prevention Project (HTPP), a partnership between the University of Baltimore School of Law (Applicant) and Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (Subrecipient), proposes to expand its current legal representation of survivors of human trafficking and those populations put at highest risk of exploitation due to experiences with domestic violence, sexual abuse, housing instability, and/or other types of trauma or inequities. The HTPP’s specialized legal services, which began in 2015 at the University of Baltimore School of Law, focus on legal matters stemming directly from a survivor’s victimization and the instability that so commonly preceded and follows it.  While the HTPP was founded with the intention of focusing on providing criminal record relief to HTPP clients, the program expanded in 2016 to include a partnership with Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Services and now provides access to a wide range of civil legal services, including direct legal representation in criminal record relief, family law, tax and bankruptcy, landlord/tenant, name and gender marker changes, and consumer matters.  Through the delivery of this comprehensive range of legal services, the HTPP aids clients in improving their self-sufficiency and stability, which, in turn, assists in trauma recovery and reduces the likelihood of additional or initial exploitation. Funding will support a significant program expansion in the Baltimore metro area through the hiring of additional staff to provide legal services, as well as an expansion in program reach into the more rural areas of Maryland.