In 2022, Ohio was fourth in the country for human trafficking cases. A Republican-sponsored bill in the Ohio House seeks to help survivors of sex and labor trafficking get jobs and housing.
Cleveland resident Annette Mango said she knows how hard it is for trafficking survivors to get their lives back on track. She was trafficked and committed crimes. When she was freed and was trying to get her life back, she said she was turned down for jobs because of her criminal history.
鈥淢ost of these places said, 鈥楬ey, no, no, we don't want you working here.鈥� And I said, 鈥榃hy?鈥� They say, 鈥楩irst of all, felons don't do a good job.鈥� They say that felons don't come to work,鈥� Mango said. 鈥淭hey say felons steal. So, I was already doing that. I had to look at myself again to put myself out because they was saying that I