THE 3PS: PROSECUTION, PROTECTION, AND PREVENTION

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE

The “3P” paradigm—prosecution, protection, and prevention—serves as the fundamental framework used around the world to combat 

human trafficking. The United States is dedicated to following this approach, as reflected in the United States’ Trafficking Victims Protection 

Act of 2000, as amended (TVPA) and the UN Trafficking in Persons Protocol (Palermo Protocol). The U.S. Department of State’s Office to 

Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP Office) employs a range of diplomatic and programmatic tools to advance the 3P paradigm 

worldwide. These 3Ps are inextricably intertwined and not separate or distinct concepts. Each is essential and mutually reinforces the others. 

In addition, a “4th P”— partnership—serves as a complementary means to achieve progress across the 3Ps and enlist all segments of society 

in the fight against human trafficking.

Prosecution

Effective law enforcement action to identify victims and stop traffickers is an indispensable element of government efforts to fight human 

trafficking. In the annual Trafficking in Persons Report, the Department of State analyzes whether governments criminalize all forms 

of human trafficking, vigorously investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases, and convict and sentence traffickers with prison 

sentences that are sufficiently stringent to deter the crime and adequately reflect the heinous nature of the offense.

An effective criminal justice response to human trafficking should treat the prosecution of cases as seriously as other grave crimes, such 

as kidnapping or rape. Governments should hold criminally accountable all perpetrators of human trafficking, including intermediaries 

aware of the intended exploitation, and should not impose suspended sentences, fines, or administrative penalties in place of prison 

sentences. Ideally, and consistent with the Palermo Protocol, a victim-centered legal framework should also authorize court-ordered 

restitution or compensation to victims in conjunction with the successful conviction of traffickers.

Non-criminal resolutions, such as mediation procedures, fall short of the TVPA’s and Palermo Protocol’s standards, which essentially 

define trafficking in persons as a crime to be prosecuted, not a civil wrong to be remedied by damages alone. Without prison sentences, 

human traffickers will not be effectively deterred.

The TIP Office works with its interagency and law enforcement partners within the U.S. government, as well as with NGOs and international 

organizations around the world, to assist other governments with drafting and implementing comprehensive anti-trafficking laws and 

vigorously prosecuting traffickers through a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach.

Protection

Protection is key to the victim-centered approach that the international community takes in its efforts to combat human trafficking. 

Effective victim protection entails proactively identifying victims, providing referrals for a comprehensive array of trauma-informed 

services, directly providing or funding NGOs to provide those services, and supporting survivors as they rebuild their lives.

Identifying victims is a critical first step in ensuring their ability to receive the support and resources they need. Proactive victim 

identification efforts and training for law enforcement, first responders, licensed health care practitioners, and other service providers are 

critically important to a government’s ability to combat human trafficking. After identification, governments should prioritize the rights 

and needs of victims to ensure that protection efforts treat victims with dignity and provide them each the opportunity to return to a life 

of their choosing. Although victims should be encouraged to cooperate with law enforcement as they prosecute their trafficker, access 

to protection services should not be contingent upon such cooperation. The TIP Office works to build the capacity of governments and 

NGOs to enhance victim protection in countries worldwide.

OFFICE TO MONITOR AND COMBAT TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS
To effectively protect foreign national trafficking victims, governments should enable them to remain in the country, work, and obtain 

services without fear of detention or deportation for lack of legal status or because of the unlawful acts their traffickers compelled 

them to commit. In addition, governments should have in place a process for victims to obtain immigration relief. Safeguards should be 

maintained to ensure the security of victims and their family members who may be at risk of intimidation or retaliation from traffickers. 

In cases in which trafficking victims, either adults or children, have records for crimes their traffickers compelled them to commit, vacatur 

or expungement should be available.

Adequate victim protection requires effective partnerships between law enforcement and service providers not only immediately after 

identification, but also throughout a victim’s participation in criminal justice or civil proceedings.

Comprehensive trauma-informed victim services include emergency and long-term services; intensive case management, housing, food, 

medical and mental health care, and legal assistance; and access to educational, vocational, and economic opportunities. Efforts to 

support foreign national victims of trafficking as they rebuild their lives can include voluntary repatriation and assistance in their home 

communities.

Prevention

Prevention efforts are equally important to the global movement to combat human trafficking. Effective prevention efforts directly address 

the tactics of human traffickers. With the dissemination of accurate and targeted information, communities will be better prepared to 

respond to the threat traffickers pose. Strategic prevention programs can disrupt traffickers’ operations by inhibiting their access to 

victims or diminishing the effectiveness of their coercive schemes. Meaningful partnerships between public and private sectors and civil 

society can expand awareness, leverage expertise, and facilitate creative solutions.

The Palermo Protocol recognizes the connection between vulnerability and human trafficking and encourages state parties to take or 

strengthen measures to alleviate those factors that make people vulnerable to human trafficking. Understanding the root causes can 

help governments shape strategic prevention efforts and also integrate anti-trafficking elements into other programming for vulnerable 

populations. 

Some examples of prevention efforts could include developing and monitoring labor recruitment programs to protect workers from 

traffickers; strengthening partnerships among law enforcement, government, and NGOs to increase coordination; amending labor laws 

so they do not omit certain classes of workers from coverage; robustly enforcing labor laws, particularly in sectors where trafficking is 

most typically found; implementing measures, such as birth registration, that reduce vulnerabilities to trafficking; monitoring supply 

chains to address forced labor, including through government procurement policies; and working to reduce demand for commercial sex.

Prosecution, protection, and prevention efforts are interdependent. Indeed, the effectiveness of the 3Ps lies in their mutually reinforcing 

nature and complementarity. Prosecution, for example, acts as a deterrent, potentially preventing the occurrence of human trafficking. 

Likewise, protection can empower victims so that they are less vulnerable and more likely to thrive in their newfound freedom, thus preventing 

revictimization. A victim-centered prosecution that enables a survivor to participate in the prosecution is integral to protection efforts.

Using the 3P paradigm, the TIP Office works year-round to assess government efforts, advocate for more effective responses, seek and 

integrate survivor input to improve policies and programs, and support international organizations and NGOs dedicated to combating 

human trafficking around the world.

Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

www.state.gov/j/tip

Washington, DC June 2020