Across decades of attempted global and national measurement, the prevalence of human trafficking has
remained difficult to determine, with communities continuing to navigate imperfect, inconsistent, and
inequitable data systems. Estimates vary widely as evolving systems adapt to high turnover, funding
fluctuations, and persistent societal stereotypes (Tyldum & Bronovskis, 2005; AlejanoSteele, Napolitano
& Finger, 2024). In Colorado, efforts to move beyond prosecution and other systemgenerated counts
have been supported by the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking’s conduct of the longitudinal
Colorado Projects over the last 13 years. Using public health frameworks, these projects illuminate who
is counted—and who is excluded—by revealing which communities have access to systems, who is
overrepresented, and who remains missing from official records. This work has equipped survivors,
underserved communities, practitioners, policymakers, and activists with data needed to support more
equitable and communitytailored responses.
Drawing from Colorado Project 2023 findings, this session underscores that communities of
color—including immigrant and tribal nations—individuals with 2SLGBTQ+ identities, individuals
experiencing homelessness and systems-involved continue to face disproportionate vulnerability to
exploitation and trafficking. We will also share insights from LCHT’s 2024–2025 Root Cause
Community Conversations, which articulate how structural inequities in community safety, policing,
labor protections, and economic conditions heighten trafficking risk statewide. Together, these findings
and community-driven recommendations underscore how systemic barriers sustain vulnerability and
illustrate why challenging the policies and practices that produce these inequities is essential to
advancing human rights and shaping statewide prevention strategies. We will close with a preview of
Colorado Project 2028.
