Sex trafficking doesn't happen in distant places to other people—it thrives on trauma that exists in every community. During my nine months working with survivors at The Cupcake Girls, I learned that traffickers are skilled predators who specifically target those whose past wounds have left them vulnerable. But I also witnessed extraordinary resilience: survivors rebuilding their lives, reclaiming their voices, and teaching us that while trauma may create vulnerability, it doesn't determine destiny.

Isolation in prisons can destroy mental health. This article explores how solitary confinement, loss of autonomy, and lack of care fuel trauma and despair behind bars.