Forced Labor in the United States
Hidden Slaves Forced Labor in the United States By Free the Slaves, Washington, D.C., and the Human Rights Center of the University of California, Berkeley* I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Forced labor is a serious and pervasive problem in the United States. At any given time, ten thousand or more people work as forced laborers in scores of cities and towns across the country. And it is likely that the actual number is much higher, possibly reaching into the tens of thousands. Because forced labor is hidden, inhumane, widespread, and criminal, sustained and coordinated ef- forts by U.S. law enforcement, social service providers, and the general public are needed to expose and eradicate this illicit trade. The International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention Concerning Forced Labor 29 defines forced labor, with exceptions, as "all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily."' * This report was written (in alphabetical order) by Kevin Bales, President, Free the Slaves; Laurel E. Fletcher, Acting Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the International Human Rights Law Clinic, University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (Boalt Hall); Eric Stover, Director of the Human Rights Center and Adjunct Professor of Public Health, University of California, Berke- ley. Contributions to text were made by Steve Lize and Rachel Shigekane. Research for this report was conducted under the direction of Kevin Bales, Laurel Fletcher, and Eric Stover by Kevin Bales, Camilla Brown, Terry Coonan, Laurel Fletcher, Natalie Hill, Steve Lize, Kristin Madigan, Jacob Patton, Natasha Pinto, Rachel Shigekane, and Eric Stover.
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