Part Two: Community

The community engagement is key to strategic programs yielding positive, far-reaching impact that can is replicable and enduring. This is why it is important for community members to be involved with what local NGOs are providing for services and support. 

This session provides an overview of how Demand Disruption and Crime Stoppers of Houston approaches community engagement through different lenses and purposes to achieve a more comprehensive, inclusive, and significant impact on the community. 

Part Three: Corporate

1.  The Corporate Connection
   • Indirect contribution to trafficking models
     • Technology use
   • Direct contribution to trafficking models
     • Strip club patronage
     • Supply chain & processes
   • Productivity
     • Commercial sex industry related distractions
       1. Pornography consumption
          A. Hours of downtime
       2. Personal issues
          B. Marital strife related to employee behavior

1. • Employee Resource Page Support
     • Employee trainings and certifications
     • ERP content and resources

Part Four: Enforcement, Prosecution & Legislation
Main Session: County

The STAR (Sex-Buyer Transformation and Restoration) program is one of Demand Disruption’s most effective programs in disrupting sex-buyer activity. This is due in large part to STAR being developed in collaboration with both buyer-informed and mental health clinician expert perspectives. By encompassing rigorous honesty, support, information, counseling and accountability, the STAR Program exposes the true effects of purchase, and encourages restoration of individual’s post-arrest. 

Sarah Sowell, a researcher from Rice University, will present her findings on the yield, effectiveness, and quantitative measures of success of the STAR program.

• Trial and Prosecution
• STAR Program
  • Overview
  • Data & Research – Sarah Sowell

Breakout Rooms: 

1. City – A detailed overview of our partnership with local law enforcement and the purpose of our collaborative work to engage sex buyers. This session features Sergeant Tony Garcia and Detective Melanie Jones with the Houston Police Department and the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance. This session will also provide a first-hand account of what happens at the point of arrest for a sex-buyer through Demand Disruption’s Law Enforcement Intervention Partnership (LEIP) program.
   • Law Enforcement
     • HTRA- Tony Garcia
     • LEIP – Melanie Jones 
2.  State – This session will cover legislative efforts at the state level where Demand Disruption contributes as subject matter experts to the creation of new anti-trafficking laws in Texas. This breakout session will also cover the difference between Demand Disruption’s STAR Program approach vs. typical “John” schools in comparing their relative effectiveness in demand reduction.  

• Minimum standard for “John” Schools
• Legislation that addresses the contributing factors of trafficking strategically

Part Five: Demand Disruption Breakout Rooms

Breakout Session 2

Prevention – This session will focus on Demand Disruption’s community programming that is centered around equipping parents and individuals on how to have empathy-based conversations with loved ones who might be struggling with the effects of living in a hyper-sexualized culture. 

•  Community Impact

Intervention – This session will be an in-depth look at the impact of having strategic conversations with alleged sex buyers at the point of arrest. It will also provide accounts from Demand Disruption’s Defender Coordinator on the nuances of leading a unique volunteer effort/experience. 

• LEIP panel + Discussion

Post-Arrest – This session covers what an arrested sex-buyer will experience in the STAR program and gives the participants an opportunity to understand the effectiveness of the STAR program in regard to demand reduction capabilities.

• The Bridge Method 
• STAR Survey 
• The Experience
• A Sampling of the Class
• The Letter  

Disrupting SIMBs – This session will cover Demand Disruption’s most exciting project partnership yet. Although, it might seem like an impossible task, Demand Disruption and HTSDAB will give the community a successful, repeatable model to eliminate suspected illicit massage businesses (SIMBS) and facilitating services for exploited women. Participants will get to hear firsthand from the leading experts on what it takes to eliminate SIMBs in our communities. 

• The MAP – Vanessa Forbes
  • Community Empowerment 
  • HTSDAB
  • Law Enforcement Support
  • Research
  • Operation Planning
  • Owner location / Contact
  • NGO Partner Awareness Efforts
    • Crime Stoppers
    • Children At Risk
    • Reporting Tool