The Just Like Me Report Cards are a natural outgrowth of Shared Hope International’s long-standing commitment to ending the unjust criminalization of trafficking survivors. Rooted in years of research, collaboration, and legislative advocacy, this initiative responds to the real and ongoing harms that many survivors face within the criminal justice system. Shared Hope seeks to advance a holistic vision: not only to prevent unjust criminalization, but also to repair the harm done, ensuring that all survivors—whether children, youth, or those survivors already carrying the burdens of criminalization—are seen, heard, and protected.

Building on 15 years of experience tracking state laws and identifying needed reforms, focusing on these 10 policy goals allows us to prioritize the most urgently needed protections. These laws are among the hardest to change—requiring multi-year collaboration and broader cultural and systemic shifts. We challenge states to prioritize these complex, yet critical, issues.

The Just Like Me Report Cards are released on an annual basis each fall. Grades are based on the 10 survivor-informed policy goals outlined under the Just Like Me Legislative Agenda.

While policies, practices, and other non-legislative efforts play a vital role in addressing child and youth sex trafficking, the protections examined under the Just Like Me Report Cards must be written into law to ensure they are enforceable, equitable, consistent, and enduring.

State grades are intended as a call to action to state legislators. The only way to improve a state’s grade is by enacting legislation to address gaps in existing law.

In developing the Just Like Me Legislative Agenda—the foundation of our newest report cards—we utilized a trauma-informed vetting process to engage ten lived experience experts. The goal was to ensure that our resources are shaped by those who best understand where legal reform is most urgently needed to address unjust criminalization and support healing and long-term stability for survivors.

Additionally, before the Report Cards are released each year, we invite state Attorneys General, Governors, task force supervisors, and statewide human trafficking coordinators to review and provide feedback on their state’s legal analysis. We review and consider all of the feedback.

Yes. To allow sufficient time to accurately assess the impact of newly enacted legislation and to seek feedback on each state’s legal analysis, we do include laws enacted after July 1st in the current report cards cycle. Any legislation enacted after this date will be reviewed and incorporated in the following year’s report.

Yes! Legislators and advocates can request a consultation with our Policy Team here.