Crime Stoppers of Houston is aggressively working with the community to bring to light critical information about the ramifications of felony bond reform. In recent months, Crime Stoppers has released multiple reports with data compiled by their team outlining the over 100 people killed/murdered by suspects that were released on a variety of bonds, including felony and personal bond(s) from Harris County.
Crime Stoppers’ examination of the loss of life due to the actions of repeat felony offenders released on multiple felony bonds, PR bonds, or with a motion to revoke bond denied led to the desire to learn more about how repeat offenders and human trafficking cases correlate. Today, we are releasing a groundbreaking report which examines the true outcomes of human trafficking cases. View report here.
Report Abstract: The present study analyzes human trafficking-related charges in Harris County from January 2018 to December 2020. In total there were 549 cases filed during the period of study and those cases were dispersed amongst 217 defendants. We subcategorized the 217 defendants into 6 groups including defendants currently out on bond; defendants on bond at the time of the new charges in custody; defendants wanted for bond forfeiture (wanted fugitive); defendant with cases transferred to federal custody and dispositions (state and federal); and defendants with cases dismissed due to a missing witness, lack of witness, or defendant death, or issues related to probable cause. We found that 67% of defendants charged in state courts received sentences of 5 years or less or community supervision. We also found that 90% of offenders did not have to register as sex offenders after conviction. These findings can aid Harris County and anti-trafficking advocacy work better comprehend the landscape of human trafficking offenders in Houston.
“Human traffickers are the scourge of society. So, what happens when they are actually charged with human trafficking-related offenses? Crime Stoppers of Houston took it upon us to do what no governmental entity has done – get answers. Our report released today, while shocking and disturbing, points out the indisputable fact we all have a lot of work to do to enhance public safety on behalf of victims and survivors of human trafficking.” said Crime Stoppers Director of Victim Services and Advocacy Andy Kahan.
With so many separate entities working both independently and collectively in Houston to combat human trafficking, we hope this information provides a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of the human trafficking-related cases in Harris County.
For additional information or to schedule a media interview, please contact Crime Stoppers Director of Victim Services Andy Kahan at akahan@crime-stoppers.org.
