What is Torture? Torture is the deliberate infliction of pain or suffering by a government or someone acting alone on an individual in order to obtain information or a confession, or for punishment, intimidation or coercion. The United Nations declared that “any act of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is an offense to human dignity and a fundamental violation of human rights.” There are an estimated 100,000 torture survivors living in New York City. Program for Torture Survivors Founded in 1996, Safe Horizon's Solace program works with survivors of state-sponsored torture, political torture and war trauma, who are refugees, asylees, asylum seekers, immigrants from refugee-like situations and Americans tortured abroad or in the United States. Solace uses a community-based, decentralized approach that includes case management, counseling, as well as ongoing support through community development efforts. Each year Solace provides support to more than 200 survivors, their families and communities. Solace is one of four organizations in the Metro Area Support for Survivors of Torture (MASST) Consortium, which provides direct services to torture survivors in New York City and New Jersey. The other agencies are Doctors of the World-USA (DOW-USA), the International Institute of New Jersey (IINJ), and International Trauma Studies Program/Refuge. To find out how Safe Horizon can help you, go to Torture. What is Human Trafficking? Often described as modern-day slavery, human trafficking has become an all too common occurrence throughout the world in recent years. Millions of men, women, and children have been trafficked across borders and within countries for the purpose of slave labor ­ typically forced prostitution, bonded sweatshop labor and domestic servitude. In the United States alone, nearly 50,000 women and children are trafficked each year internally and across our borders. New York City has been identified as one of the main entry points for such trafficking. The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 defines trafficking as the recruitment and/or the transportation of people using violence, the threat of violence, deception, or other forms of coercion to exploit them sexually or economically for the profit or advantage of others. Under this law, trafficked persons can pursue action against their traffickers and access social services and legal remedies. Anti-Trafficking Program Safe Horizon operates a program to assist victims and survivors of human trafficking. Through funding from the Federal Department of Health and Human Services, we provide intensive case management, shelter, legal services, and mental health care to survivors of trafficking. From the point of rescue until the stabilization, our intensive case managers work with trafficked clients to explain their options and provide access to needed resources. An integral component of our work has been coordination with local and Federal law enforcement, to ensure that victims’ needs are addressed and that the criminal justice system holds traffickers accountable for the human rights violations that they perpetuate. Safe Horizon also operates the New York City Service Network for Trafficked Persons, a coalition of diverse service providers whose mission is to combat trafficking and ensure trafficked persons needs are recognized and addressed. Additionally, through grants from both the Federal Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Office for Victims of Crime, Safe Horizon is leading nationwide efforts to train and provide technical assistance to service providers and other entities. To find out how Safe Horizon can help you, go to Trafficking. Immigration Law Project Since 1988, the Immigration Law Project (ILP) has provided free and low-cost services to victims of crime, torture, and abuse in immigration proceedings. ILP has represented hundreds of battered women in Violence Against Women Act self-petitions and adjustment proceedings as well as gender-based asylum claims. To find out how Safe Horizon can help you, go to Legal Assistance.