Locked up for the last 9 years in a southern Georgia jail after being forced by her pimp to help him lure another teenage girl into his violent lair, child sex trafficking survivor Tiffany Simpson dreams of swimming in the ocean with her son, Ayden. Lack of Love, as narrated by Tiffany from jail, is her story of learning what love truly is while fighting for her freedom.

The film illuminates the dark reality that across America there are victims of human trafficking trapped in jail as a result of their own victimization. The script, based on Tiffany’s own words, takes viewers on a voyage of one young girl’s abuse by her trafficker which continued when she was prosecuted and jailed for a crime he forced her to commit and no one around her saw that she was drowning. In 2012, 10 months after being incarcerated, Tiffany read an article in USA Today featuring co-founder and executive director of a survivor organization, Karana Rising. Now, Tiffany is an advocate with Karana Rising fighting for her freedom and for survivors like her, including teen victims Jessica and Jordan Hampton.

“I want everyone to know how I ended up in jail because it’s time society sees how their lack of love leads to kids like me falling into trafficking and abuse. If you never feel love around you, you will hold onto the first person offering it. Then, you are hooked,” writes Tiffany from Pulaski State Prison in Hawkinsville, Georgia.

The Survivor Justice Initiative, a collaborative effort launched by Karana Rising and Dressember, supports currently incarcerated survivors by providing direct social and legal support during their unjust incarceration and on their pathway to freedom. On Saturday, May 1, Dressember will host a #FreeTiffany virtual 5K run to raise support for survivors like Tiffany that include wellness supplies, therapy, legal services, access to educational supplies and more.

“Since 2013, Dressember has mobilized tens of thousands of individuals to fight human trafficking and raised over $13 million dollars. We recognize that traffickers often prey on individuals with compounding vulnerabilities, which is why we seek to address this intersectional issue systematically. As we continue to see victims and survivors criminalized, we’re proud to take a stand alongside Karana Rising to educate the public and demand survivors’ freedom and clearing of records so they can begin their journey toward healing.” — Marissa Peden, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Dressember Foundation.

Believing survivors today means less victims tomorrow.

• Producers: Andrea Powell, Fecha Talaso and Riham Ezzaldeen

• Karana Rising and Marissa Peden, Dressember

• Director: Noel Keserwany

• Art directors: Rodrigo Garcia & Noel keserwany

• Animator: Peter Aoun

• Writers: Tiffany Simpson with Andrea Powell, Ashley Lowe and Noel Keserwany

• Sound design: Anthony Sahyoun

• Produced by: What Took You So Long

• Learn more and help Tiffany: www.freetiffany.org