AKRON, Ohio — In the last few years, Ohio reported among the most cases of human trafficking. Currently, the Buckeye State ranks No. 4 nationwide for reported cases, according to the Akron Municipal Court. To better assist victims, the court launched a program in 2018 and so far, around 15 people are enrolled.
Judge Ron Cable started the program RISE (Restore Individual Self-Empowerment) for victims of human trafficking in Akron in October of 2018.
“Trafficking, the definition is when someone is selling sex for the benefit of someone else,” Cable explained. “It is not always the traditional sense that you might think, like someone is being taken across state lines or kidnapped. If they are having sex and receiving money and someone else is the beneficiary of that money, they are being trafficked by definition.”
Cable said it's a more holistic approach to helping victims.
"Most of them need trauma counseling, actually, all of the participants in the program go through trauma counseling because they have been severely traumatized in their life and that helps address some of the underlying issues they may have," Cable said.
RISE is a voluntarily divergent program.
Michaela Yerse works with the participants daily as the RISE court coordinator.
“Instead of taking whatever deal, I’m going to just plea into RISE, and at that point, you go through the program. Your charge goes away completely,” Yerse explained of the process.
Under Ohio law, victims of human trafficking are eligible for expungement.
“So we will also get you hooked up with the University of Akron Law Clinic to get the rest of your charges expunged,” she explained. “Not just in Akron, but in the rest of Ohio.”
The RISE team leads participants as they create a new, positive path for themselves.
They help the victims in every aspect of life from hygiene to therapy and constant emotional support.
Through partnerships with outside agencies, RISE provides services such as trauma therapy, drug rehabilitation, housing, vocational sessions and other support.
Recently, they partnered with Hope Meadows foundation for an equine therapy session.
Lisa Borchert is the clinical director for Hope Meadows, a nonprofit organization that focuses on equine assisted psychotherapy, she said it was amazing to watch the RISE participants engage with the massive animals.
“This is one of the first times that they are developing maybe a healthy relationship and that healthy relationship might be with the horse. They can experience what that might be like outside of the arena as well,” Borchert explained. “In the beginning people were very reluctant, and they were kind of scared they had their faces down and they weren’t making eye contact and when they left, there was laughter and smiles.”
Cable and Yerse even went with the participants to the therapy session at Hope Meadows.
“They had felt like they had a break from all of their problems and all of the chatter that may have been going through their minds,” the judge said. “It was nice to see.”
Around 15 people are currently enrolled in RISE.