Human Trafficking in Alabama: Complete Prevention Guide

Human trafficking affects approximately 50 million people. [1]

Global trafficking is profitable in a diverse set of communities, helping it become the 2nd largest and fastest-growing criminal industry worldwide. [2] 

Anti-trafficking legislation in Alabama has seen recent success in conjunction with trafficking prevention efforts like task forces, improved human trafficking training and awareness curricula, and human trafficking research.

Human Trafficking in Alabama

Traffickers find Alabama attractive for several reasons, including geography, accessibility, and demographics.

Here are several additional factors contributing to Alabama human trafficking:

• Interstate Highways: Several Alabama interstate highways serve as channels for human trafficking, such as I-20, I-85, and I-65. These highways provide streamlined access to the rest of the United States. According to Homeland Security Investigations Resident in Charge Doug Gilmer, I-20 is the “most highly trafficked stretch of interstate in the entire [United States].” [3]

• Rural Areas: Alabama is small and rural compared to other states with high human trafficking activity, which helps traffickers. Christian Lim, a professor of social work at the University of Alabama, explained that Alabama’s rural layout limits police stations per square mile and law enforcement resources. [4] Also, a lack of human trafficking education leads to the spread of human trafficking misconceptions.

• Gang Activity:  Growing organized crime boosts gangs involved in human trafficking in Alabama. Gangs such as Latin Kings, Surenos, Bloods, and Simon City Royals profit from sex trafficking.
  

Statistics

In 2023, Alabama ranked 29th in the United States for human trafficking cases identified, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH). [5]

The NHTH tracks important data regarding the state of human trafficking across the country. Here are Alabama human trafficking hotline statistics from 2023. [6]

• Alabamians, including 33 human trafficking victims, contacted NHTH 203 times.
• NHTH identified 57 Alabama cases.
• NHTH identified 134 Alabama victims.

The overwhelming majority were females with roughly 32% being minors. 

Cities

Alabamians have reported human trafficking cases across the state in cities like Montgomery County, Birmingham, Fort Payne, Madison County, Huntsville, Albertville, Guntersville, Dothan, and Mobile.

Consider the impact of human trafficking in the following Alabama cities:

Birmingham – Birmingham serves as a human trafficking hub because of the junction of I-20, I-59, and I-65. Birmingham has easy access to major southeast cities.

During the World Games 2022 in Birmingham, a secret law enforcement operation known as Operation Games STOP (Strategic Trafficking Operation) [7] led to human trafficking arrests and rescues:

Tuscaloosa – I-20 is just 10 minutes away from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, putting college students at risk of trafficking. Universities are often high-risk locations for human trafficking activity.

Working with Illinois’ Cooke County Police, the Tuscaloosa Police arrested 135 “Johns” over 16 days during a “National Day of Johns” sting. [8]

Law enforcement made these arrests after placing false ads for sex services on various websites.

Trafficking Free Zones – Trafficking Free Zones (“TFZ”) are committed to reducing the number of sex buyers by training organizations, law enforcement, and first responders in human trafficking awareness and education.

Municipalities that have declared themselves TFZs have a zero-tolerance human trafficking policy, meaning commercial sex solicitors face immediate termination.

TFZs also show the community how to prevent human trafficking in Alabama through educational events and prevention programs.

Alabama TFZs include [9] Lee County, Alexander City/Dadeville, Birmingham, Camp Hill, Center Point, Cullman, Gardendale, Homewood, Hoover, Irondale, Mountain Brook, Northport, Opelika, Oxford, Pinson, Trussville, Vestavia Hills.

Alabama's Outstanding Anti-Trafficking Efforts

Alabama has taken a proactive approach to eliminating human trafficking.

These efforts include:

Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation

Safe Harbor Act: In 2016, Alabama passed an update to existing human trafficking legislation [10] to ensure victims receive safe harbor and that trafficked minors are treated as victims rather than criminals. 

Section 13A-6-151: This section provides definitions for the following: coercion, deception, labor servitude, mental suffering, minor, physical injury, sexual conduct, sexual servitude, and trafficking victim.

In the 2022 session under HB 284, human trafficking definitions were amended to include additional offenses, which went into effect in January 2023. [11]

HB 434: Alabama amended a law that authorized using video equipment and closed circuit equipment to obtain video depositions and testimony from trafficking victims. [12]

Certain conditions must be met before a court will accept this testimony.

HB 261: All new commercial driver licensees must undergo human trafficking training [13] to recognize human trafficking signals and identify human trafficking victims.

HB 262: The publishing of photos of human trafficking victims subjected to prostitution is prohibited while publishing photos of those charged with soliciting or procuring prostitution is authorized. [14]

The goal is to deter “Johns” from supporting human trafficking by purchasing sex.

HJR145: This resolution encourages law enforcement to ensure all officers are adequately trained on human trafficking. [15]

HJR244: The purpose of the Alabama Healthcare Human Trafficking Training Program Commission is to develop training curriculums for healthcare employees to effectively identify and provide trauma-centered care for human trafficking victims. [16]

Expanded Government Resources and Services

Alabama has recognized the widespread misconceptions of human trafficking and works to improve human trafficking education within the state.

The Department of Health Services provides training to law enforcement officers and the community which focuses on how to recognize sex trafficking signs, respond to human trafficking calls, and offer support to human trafficking victims.

Creation of Anti-Trafficking Task Forces

Alabama benefits from three types of task forces that address human trafficking at different levels: (1) a state task force; (2) law enforcement task forces; and (3) community-based task forces. [17]

Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force: Formed in 2014, this task force provides training and awareness programs, collaborates with other task forces and agencies, coordinates victim services strategies, and addresses policy and legislative issues concerning human trafficking.

It also hosts the annual Alabama Human Trafficking Summit to provide training to participants.

Law Enforcement Task Forces: Law Enforcement Task Forces focus on conducting training, investigations, and operations to effectively prosecute human traffickers.

An example of a law enforcement task force is the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force.

Community-Based Task Forces: Led by community leaders, these task forces provide general awareness training and events in local communities.

Community-Based Task Forces include:

• North Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force
• Cullman County Human Trafficking Task Force
• Renew Hope/Chambers County Human Trafficking Task Force
• Lauderdale County Human Trafficking Task Force

Stories, Cases, and Successful Operations

Since the establishment of human trafficking laws in Alabama in 2010, [18] numerous cases have been reported.

Here are some cases that represent Alabama’s current human trafficking landscape:

1. In November 2022, a two-month undercover operation by the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force led to the arrest of 6 men on 12 felony charges. [19]

These men, facing charges that include electronic solicitation, believed they were in contact with an underage female online.

2. Lonnie Mitchell, of Montgomery, targeted several victims with substance abuse issues and weaponized these substances to coerce them into commercial sex with clients. 

Mitchell also used violence, threatened to send the victims’ loved ones private or embarrassing information, and confiscated victims’ identification documents and credit cards.

In Dec 2022, Mitchell was sentenced to 60 years in prison. [20] 

3. Karnival McGhee, of Montgomery, spent several days contacting an underage victim in person and on social media.

McGhee paid for hotel rooms for the minor to engage in commercial sex acts.

In Oct 2023, McGhee was sentenced to 125 months in prison. [21]

Organizations, Coalitions, Taskforces, and Universities

Various organizations, task forces, and universities are dedicated to fighting human trafficking and supporting Alabamian victims.

These include:

The WellHouse: The WellHouse provides a haven for female trafficking victims where patients have the opportunity to rehabilitate through therapeutic programs that offer medical, spiritual, mental, and emotional care. [22]

The University of Alabama – The University of Alabama remains vulnerable to traffickers because of its proximity to I-20.

The Department of Justice awarded the University of Alabama School of Social Work a $1.35 million grant to fight human trafficking through the three-year Juvenile Victims of Human Trafficking in Alabama Project. [23]

This project works to support underage Alabama trafficking victims and relationships between treatment services, law enforcement, and prosecutors.

UA’s Culverhouse College of Business also conducts extensive human trafficking research within Alabama.

UA’s Institute of Data and Analytics has initiated Sex Trafficking Analytics for Network Detection and Disruption (STANDD) to analyze data into information relating to anti-trafficking efforts. [24]

The Alabama Anti-Human Trafficking Alliance (“Alliance”) – The Department of Justice funded the Alliance to provide investigative resources to prosecute human traffickers and assistance to trafficking victims. [25]

The Alliance collaborates with law enforcement, service providers, and state agencies to address human trafficking within the state.

Act Now. For more tools and information, check out our Resources page.  

Recommended Citation: 

Human Trafficking Front. “Human Trafficking in Alabama: Complete Prevention Guide." Published January 3, 2025. https://humantraffickingfront.org/human-trafficking-in-alabama-complete-prevention-guide/.

References: 

[1] International Labour Organization, Walk Free, and International Organization for Migration. Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage. Geneva: ILO, 2022.

[2] Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Human Trafficking Fact Sheet. Washington, DC: Office of the Attorney General. Accessed January 3, 2025. https://oag.dc.gov/public-safety/human-trafficking-initiatives/human-trafficking-fact-sheet.

[3] Times-Journal. “Human Trafficking Awareness Efforts Continue to Expand.” Times-Journal, January 11, 2023. https://times-journal.com/news/article_0a2a1ba8-9137-11ed-9d2c-976e8d9f4f19.html.

[4] Miguel, Marie. “Collective Guilt and Responsibility.” University of Alabama at Birmingham Institute for Human Rights. Posted September 5, 2019. https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/author/arountre/.

[5] National Human Trafficking Hotline. Human Trafficking Statistics by State, 2023.  https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/statistics.

[6] National Human Trafficking Hotline. “Alabama Statistics.” https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/statistics/alabama.

[7] U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “HSI Birmingham Targets Threats to Public Safety Leading up to World Games.” Last modified July 7, 2022. https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/hsi-birmingham-targets-threats-public-safety-leading-world-games.

[8] Bai, Dianna. “The Sex Trafficking Industry Right in Alabama.” University of Alabama at Birmingham Institute for Human Rights. Posted August 28, 2019. https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2019/08/28/the-sex-trafficking-industry-right-in-alabama/.

[9] Newsum, Kait. “Human Trafficking in Alabama: What You Need to Know.” WHNT News 19. Last modified January 11, 2022. https://whnt.com/news/human-trafficking-in-alabama-what-you-need-to-know/.

[10] Moseley, Brandon. “Legislature Passes Safe Harbor Act.” Alabama Political Reporter. Published May 4, 2016, at 6:39 a.m. CDT. https://www.alreporter.com/2016/05/04/legislature-passes-safe-harbor-act/.

[11] Alabama Legislature. HB284: Human Trafficking, Definitions Amended to Include Additional Offenses, Sec. 13A-6-151 Amended. Delivered to the Governor on April 7, 2022, at 9:36 p.m. https://legiscan.com/AL/text/HB284/2022. 

[12] Alabama Legislature. HB434: Criminal Procedure, Victims of Human Trafficking, Video Depositions and Video Testimony Authorized. Delivered to the Governor on April 7, 2022, at 9:36 p.m. https://legiscan.com/AL/text/HB434/id/2534857.

[13] McWhorter, Carrie Brown. “Legislative Recap: Human Trafficking Bills Pass on Final Day.” The Alabama Baptist, June 10, 2019. https://thealabamabaptist.org/legislative-recap-human-trafficking-bills-pass-on-final-day/.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Ibid. 

[16] Ibid. 

[17] Alabama Human Trafficking Alliance. The Alabama Uniform Human Trafficking Initiative. https://alabamaalliance.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/The-Alabama-Uniform-Human-Trafficking-Initiative.pdf.

[18] Tommey, Blake. “Alabama Passes First Anti-Human Trafficking Law.” AL.com. Published April 28, 2010. Updated April 28, 2010. https://www.al.com/samford-crimson/2010/04/alabama_passes_first_anti-huma.html.

[19] WBRC Staff. “6 People Arrested after Undercover Human Trafficking Operation in West Alabama.” WBRC. Published November 3, 2022, at 6:48 p.m. EDT. https://www.wbrc.com/2022/11/03/6-people-arrested-after-undercover-human-trafficking-operation-west-alabama/.

[20] U.S. Department of Justice. “Montgomery Defendant Sentenced to 60 Years and Ordered to Pay Over $950,000 in Restitution for Sex Trafficking Scheme Involving Forced Prostitution.” Last modified December 5, 2022. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdal/pr/montgomery-defendant-sentenced-60-years-and-ordered-pay-over-950000-restitution-sex.

[21] U.S. Department of Justice. “Montgomery Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sex Trafficking.” Last modified October 24, 2023. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdal/pr/montgomery-man-sentenced-over-10-years-federal-prison-child-sex-trafficking.

[22] The WellHouse.  https://www.the-wellhouse.org/.

[23] University of Alabama School of Social Work. “Social Work Awarded $1.35 Million Department of Justice Grant to Fight Human Trafficking.”  https://socialwork.ua.edu/blog/social-work-awarded-1-35-million-department-of-justice-grant-to-fight-human-trafficking/.

[24] University of Alabama, Culverhouse College of Business. “Human Trafficking.” https://ida.culverhouse.ua.edu/initiatives/human-trafficking/.

[25] Alabama Human Trafficking Alliance.  https://alabamaalliance.alabama.gov/.