The Polaris Project sent us this information about the television series:

“Modern slavery is an often misunderstood crime. When it is, people don’t realize it’s happening within their own communities or that it manifests itself across multiple types—domestic work, escort services, agriculture, and more.

That’s why Polaris could not be prouder to have worked with the team of ABC’s critically acclaimed and Emmy-winning series, “American Crime,” over the past year to help develop their third season, focused specifically on issues surrounding modern slavery. We believe this season of “American Crime” will be one of the most effective tools the anti-human trafficking field has had to convey the full complexity of human trafficking in the United States.

The season premiered this past Sunday, March 12th at 10:00 p.m. EDT on ABC. The next episode will be this Sunday night. You can watch the trailer here. At the end of Sunday’s episode, ABC will share information about the Polaris-operated National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888) so victims who identify with situations portrayed in the episode know how to reach out and be connected to help.

When trafficking is portrayed in the movies or on television, it’s often sensationalized to the point that the true experiences of most survivors of sex and labor trafficking America are lost in storylines that aren’t accurate. “American Crime” captures the nuances and subtleties of the these experiences: it shows the intersections modern slavery has with so many other issues, like immigration and socioeconomic divides. It shows that the child sex trafficking of young girls is an issue that must be confronted, but that it also affects boys, LGBTQ people, immigrants who are documented or undocumented, and people of all ages and backgrounds. It shows the emotional and mental impact that human trafficking has on survivors, even long after they leave their situations.

“American Crime” also portrays the people behind the fight against human trafficking—the social workers and shelter operators who are often the unsung heroes working to combat this $150 billion a year criminal industry with a safety net that is underfunded, stretched thin, or entirely nonexistent in some places.

We encourage all our supporters to watch the season, share it with your own networks on Facebook and Twitter, and spread the word using the hashtag #AmericanCrime.”