(Mike Osborne) — The State of Tennesse has received attention for its efforts to reduce sex trafficking.
The victim’s advocacy group Shared Hope International has given the Volunteer state top marks for efforts to improve sex trafficking interventions over the past year. Tennessee ranked first in the nation on the group’s annual State Report Card.
The report rates the states on six metrics. Tennessee received its best scores in the areas of criminal law, adding new punishments for buyers and traffickers.
Tennessee’s push to address sex trafficking began in 2011 when a study conducted by the state Bureau of Investigation and Vanderbilt University revealed trafficking was present in at least 85 of Tennessee’s 95 counties.