Tharros Place, a nonprofit providing residential services for girls ages 12 to 17 who are survivors of human trafficking, recently announced it received the Inaugural Spencer Lawton, Jr. Victim Services Award in recognition of the organization’s devotion to survivors of human trafficking. A monetary award of $10,000 was presented to Tharros Place Executive Director Julie Wade by Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones, Esq., at the Chatham County Board of Commissioners meeting on Friday, April 11.

“It is a great honor for Tharros Place to be recognized this way, and this award will help us continue our mission,” said Wade. “It is also special to receive the first award named after the late Spencer Lawton, former District Attorney, as we work to transform these girls from victims to young women brimming with confidence, self-respect, and courage.” 

The Spencer Lawton Award was created to honor its namesake who, during his 17-year tenure, tried noteworthy cases and established the first victim advocacy program within the DA’s Office. Tharros Place will use the monetary award for its operational expenses and needs. 

“Human trafficking victims – especially those who are so young – are often ‘invisible’ victims,” Jones said. “The District Attorney’s Office is proud to recognize Tharros Place’s hard work providing direct services to victims and survivors.”

Worldwide, human trafficking impacts more than 24.9 million people — adults and children — including in the United States. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, a total of 1,912 people were referred to U.S. attorneys for human trafficking offenses in 2022, a 26 percent increase from a decade earlier. Of the 1,070 defendants charged, 91 percent were male, 58 percent were white, 20 percent were black, 18 percent were Hispanic, 95 percent were U.S. citizens, and 71 percent had no prior convictions. 

With Savannah’s high poverty rate, international port, booming tourism industry, and the crossroads of Highway 95 and I-16, the county ranks 6th in the state (out of 159 counties) for the number of reported cases of minor victims of trafficking. The issue is of particular concern for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp, who created the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education (GRACE) Commission to eliminate human trafficking as a threat to people in every part of Georgia.