Kristen Powell was 12 years old the first time she ran away from home to escape a difficult situation. When she was 13, she left her 72-hour hold with an older girl she’d met at a children’s home and unwittingly entered into a violent and abusive circle of sex trafficking. Kristen was penalized and charged because authorities wanted her to testify against the person who victimized her. Kristen’s life spiraled out of control, and she found herself in and out of foster homes and juvenile detention centers. During those chaotic years, she accrued thousands of dollars in court fines and fees. Now 24 and a mother of three, Kristen is still paying those debts.

Twenty-year-old Nykia Gatson first entered the Kansas juvenile justice system for stealing when she was just 10 years old. While she was imprisoned, both of her parents passed away, leaving her without a guardian. To cover the costs associated with her detention, Nykia says the state took child support payments out of the social security death benefits she received when her mother died. Since her release, Nykia continues to make payments on her court fines and fees, paying thousands of dollars in restitution while struggling to meet her own needs.

Ado’Nijah Zaire Metcalf, 23, grew up in the Northside neighborhood of Wichita, Kansas. During childhood, he recalls tickets and court fee invoices arriving in the mail while his mom worked two jobs to try to pay them off and feed her family. Through a series of negative encounters with local law enforcement, Adonijah became distrustful of the police. As a Black teenager, he felt targeted by them. Casual hangouts with friends and relatives have turned into confrontations with law officers, which led to court appearances, a suspended license, and even a lost job. Adonijah has been working to pay off his court fines and fees, and he has begun advocacy work to help others in his community break the same cycle.