Human Trafficking and Missing & Murdered Indigenous Persons in South Dakota
SANE Supplemental Online Training
After the training, participants will have a better understanding of:
- The intersection between MMIP, human trafficking, sexual assault, and domestic violence
- South Dakota human trafficking and MMIP trends
- New human trafficking and MMIP training initiatives available in South Dakota
- How to report suspected traffickers and what information to report
Trainers: Mary Beth Holzwarth, Human Trafficking Coordinator, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and Allison Morrisette, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Coordinator, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation
Mary Beth Holzwarth is the Human Trafficking State Coordinator for South Dakota under the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the South Dakota Attorney General. Mary Beth began her career combatting child sexual assault after two of her son’s disclosed sexual assault in 2009, at the ages of 8 and 5. She created her organization, Endeavor 52, to educate adults, children, and professionals on how to keep children safe and improve response efforts after disclosure. She was involved in the passionate group of professionals who drafted Jolene’s Law which led to the Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment and more efforts around the state.
Years later she became the Re-Entry Coach at the South Dakota Women’s Prison, guiding women through the Moving On program to heal from trauma and recreate new lives prior to being released. That led her to truly begin to understand the correlation between childhood trauma and the ties of human trafficking on some of the most vulnerable populations which led her to the position she is now in, combining both areas of expertise and joining with others to change the scope of South Dakota.
She is master trainer for ACEs, Enough Abuse, and Moving On; an avid backpacker and outdoorswoman, and mother to four amazing sons.
Allison Morrisette, an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, was born to Stephanie Louden and Joseph Morrisette Jr. Growing up in Martin, SD she participated in basketball, track, softball and various other activities. She then joined the South Dakota Army National Guard in 2012 and served 6 years with the 842nd Engineer Company. During that time, she also graduated from Oglala Lakota College with her BS in Information Technology. She started as a Correctional Officer for Pennington County and then went on to facilitate the Adult Diversion Program for the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office. Spending a couple years with Pennington County SAO she assumed her duties as the state’s inaugural Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Coordinator on Monday, Nov. 28, 2022.
Working in the area of Criminal Justice Reform Allison has found her passion to help the Indigenous community. While working at Pennington County she partnered with Wambli Ska Teen Center and helped create Oyate Kin Kawita Upikte, a community based cultural court. Being able to give her Native relatives the resources to find their cultural identity and the ability to heal without incarceration. She then realized a Criminal Justice Reform program could help her reservation and worked on the implementation of the first Juvenile Diversion on the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Allison’s newest position as the MMIP Coordinator for the State of South Dakota is an endeavor she is proud to be a part of. Hoping to build bridges where there’s been challenges and paving a positive way of life for future generations.
This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-21-GG-00844-RURA awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice. In addition, tools, assessments, and/or screenings described on this site do not constitute OVW endorsement or approval but rather reflect tools, assessments, and/or screenings commonly used in the field.
