September 19, 2012, Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sean Parnell today announced appointments to the Task Force on the Crimes of Human Trafficking, Promoting Prostitution, and Sex Trafficking. Established by Senate Bill 210, the task force addresses serious crimes that violate the most basic human rights and personal freedoms. The group will examine the prevalence of the crimes of human trafficking, prostitution and sex trafficking in Alaska and the services that are available to victims of those crimes.
“This task force is a part of our ongoing efforts to increase the safety of Alaskan homes and the strength of Alaskan families,” Governor Parnell said. “By combining the resources of the State of Alaska, local and federal law enforcement, community nonprofits, social service organizations, and the faith community, the work of this task force will protect Alaskans from being victimized and exploited.”
The task force is composed of representatives of the attorney general’s office, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Health and Social Services, and two members who represent nongovernmental organizations that provide health and social services to victims of these crimes.
Michelle DeWitt is the executive director of the Tundra Women’s Coalition (TWC), a domestic violence shelter and service provider in Bethel. She has both lived in Bethel and worked for TWC since 1997. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Creighton University. The TWC is committed to promoting a healthy social environment for the women, children and men of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and currently includes a 30 bed emergency shelter, community outreach, children’s advocacy center, transitional housing, and programs for teens and children.
Gwen Adams, of Anchorage, is the pastor of Women’s Ministries at ChangePoint Church and has spent the last 24 years in women’s ministries and programs. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Multnomah University. She is part of a startup initiative of the “Priceless” program that fights sex trafficking with prevention, demand reduction, intervention, and long-term care of victims.
