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Zachary Simmons, the San Joaquin County corrections officer accused of raping and sexually assaulting multiple female inmates, was in court Monday. KCRA 3 spoke with one of the survivors who testified against him. She claims the sexual assaults against her were in retaliation for speaking up about his treatment of other inmates. She said the attacks would happen always at night, always in the shower and always with another corrections officer standing guard. Sheriff Patrick Withrow responded to KCRA via zoom call and said, "We will not stand for anyone having any type of misconduct at our department." Well, Sheriff, if officers are raping inmates while other guards stand by, what do you call that? Surely, others in the department are aware of whats going on, so it kind of seems like Withrow is just out of the loop.
Former ICE Acting Director Tom Homan warns of President Biden's immigration actions. He highlights the dangers of the Biden administration cancelling the national sex offender operation called 'Operation Talon' that targeted sex offenders living illegally in the United States. A total of eighteen state attorney generals urged Biden to reverse his decision.
"The last four years of misguided policies have exacerbated the already broken immigration system and highlighted the critical need for reform," Biden said in a statement Thursday, adding that he wants to "modernize" the U.S.’s immigration system. Biden's latest immigration bill is expected to receive push back, particularly in the Senate, where Democrats currently do not have the 60 votes needed to prevent a filibuster. Unfortunately, it looks like we are at a stalemate at every turn as the Biden administration has taken steps to alter U.S. policies on immigration by attempting to put a 100-day moratorium on deportations. Susan B. Anthony was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Anthony wrote the 19th amendment to the US Constitution in 1878, but it wasn't ratified until 1920 after major social unrest and persecution of activists, and according to the US government as a war measure in order to make the world safe for democracy. Notably, the national movement and passage of women's suffrage came after intense state by state advocacy and legislative acts and more involvement in society and work by women. When Wyoming was still a territory, legislators passed the Wyoming Suffrage Act of 1869. Alternatively, South Carolina originally rejected the 19th Amendment on January 28, 1920. The state belatedly ratified the amendment on July 1, 1969. Minority women still struggled to practically vote until much later and even still today face challenges to equal access to voting, demonstrating that even ratification of legislation is still a part of the beginning process to change. Collection of Anti Suffrage Political Propaganda Cartoons Trump Pardons Susan B Anthony From Conviction of Illegally Voting In a controversial move, Donald Trump pardoned Susan B Anthony from a guilty conviction for voting. During her court trial, Anthony argued that any state law restricting women from voting is null and void due to the fact that women were citizens and their right to vote is protected in their Person. The White House released a statement regarding the pardon of Susan B Anthony. Vintage Women's Suffrage Photographs Tim Ballard, CEO and founder of Operation Underground Railroad and a member of the US Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking, highlights the aspects of how the pandemic effects trafficking. In March 2020, the FBI warned school closures would heighten the risk of exploitation. Ballard indicates a lack of infrastructure in the home leads to more exploitation. He shares that the United States is the top consumer in the world for child exploitation material. Ballard highlights the statement from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, "In the first quarter of 2020, NCMEC became aware of predators openly discussing the pandemic as an opportunity to entice unsupervised children into producing sexually explicit material. At the same time, we experienced an explosion in reporting to our CyberTipline from both the public and electronic service providers, all while transitioning to a teleworking environment."  CyberTipline Reports have increased 90.46%, or by about 6 million in real numbers, compared to the same time last year for online solicitations. Ballard expresses the importance of spreading true information and educating parents, teachers and as many possible people that have children in their care about the threats of human trafficking.  Attorney General Bill Barr notes the 20th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and promises the Justice Department will do everything they can to prevent human trafficking and help survivors. The Justice Department is issuing the largest ever federal investment of this kind, at $35 million going to 73 organizations in 34 states to assist with housing. Funds will support multiple forms of housing assistance including rent, utilities, vocational education, job training. moving expenses and more. This year the Justice Department expects to award a total of $100 million this year to combat human trafficking. Ivanka Trump highlights the opening of the second office The Missing and Murdered Cold Case Task Force. She notes that the Trump administration has signed nine pieces of legislation, and has already allocated $70 million for enhanced prosecution and $123 million for supporting state and local governments to combat human trafficking. The National Human Trafficking Hotline says that housing assistance is the most requested service. Brooke Rollins, acting director of The United States Domestic Policy Council, commits to working closely with the administration to combat human trafficking. Tenisha Watson, a leader in advocacy for 16 years, accepted the grant for Jordan Community Resource Center in Cleveland, Ohio, shared insight about providing transitional housing and jobs and opportunities for advancement.  Grant money was awarded to Alternatives for Girls, in Detroit Michigan. They are committed to helping homeless girls and women avoid violence and exploitation, explore and access resources, supports and opportunities to grow strong and to make positive choices for their lives. they have served about 6k women in 2019 through street based outreach and other services, collaborating with law enforcement. Services include domestic violence interventions, safety, counseling, and a range of services to runaways and homeless youth, as well as at risk girls.
Helda Fernandez, CEO of Camillus House in Miami reported that the most common referral to the Phoenix Project is through law enforcement, homeland security, the state attorneys office and other state agencies. They work hand in hand with law enforcement to bring traffickers to justice. Tanya Gould, member of US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and founder of Identifiable Me, was also grateful for the administration for their support of the the Advisory Council. Tanya explained the recommendations in the 2020 report of the Council, including safe housing and the opportunity to heal, calling to prioritize the housing needs of survivors and their children. They also called upon agencies to increase services and assistance to under served and under-reported communities, including minorities and LGBTQ, to promote trauma informed practices and housing assistance initiatives to all survivors of trafficking. Clashes broke out between riot police and women's rights activists and Islamists on the front line of an International #WomansDay march in #Istanbul on Sunday. Women and men joined the event in Islamabad, one of several rallies across the country, for what is known in Pakistan as the Aurat March, using the Urdu word for women. Hundreds of men and women from the Red Mosque brigade, consisting of several local militant groups, and a Taliban allied religious party staged a rival rally just across from the women’s march venue, District Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said. Police official Mazhar Niazi said the officers blocked the Islamists as they tried to break through a cordon to attack the marchers. A Reuters witness and Niazi said the Islamists threw stones, bricks, sticks and shoes at the marchers. Niazi said no one was injured. Under-fire filmmaker Roman Polanski has announced he is skipping Friday’s awards ceremony for the Césars, France's equivalent of the Oscars, saying he will not submit himself to a "public lynching" over rape accusations he denies.
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