International Justice Mission

Description

International Justice Mission is a non-governmental organization that protects people in poverty from violence.

It was founded in 1997 in Washington, D.C., by lawyer Gary Haugen. It works against sex trafficking, forced labor, slavery, violence against women and children, police abuse of power, and violations of citizenship rights.

It partners with local governments and law enforcement agencies rather than acting on its own. Its model rests on four parts: strengthening justice systems, bringing criminals to prosecution, rescuing and restoring victims, and building public demand for protection. It trains justice officials and community leaders, gives legal aid and support to survivors, and carries out research and studies on trafficking and abuse. It also advocates for public policy that protects vulnerable people.

It is active in nineteen countries across Africa, Latin America, South Asia and Southeast Asia, with partner offices in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Australia. It reports having helped rescue hundreds of thousands of victims and trained hundreds of thousands of justice officials and community leaders since its founding.