BACKGROUND

In June 2018, 17-year-old Chrystul Kizer was charged with the murder of child sex trafficker Randall “Randy” Volar, 34. Kizer, who had been trafficked by Volar since the age of 15, maintains that the incident occurred in self-defense.

In the months leading up to his death, Volar was arrested on charges of child sexual exploitation and the sexual assault of a minor. Upon his arrest, local authorities found hundreds of explicit videos in Volar’s possession, documenting the breadth and frequency of his crimes against children, including his abuse of Kizer.

Despite this discovery, the Kenosha County District Attorney never filed charges and Volar was released without bail on the same day of his arrest and remained free until his death. Kizer, by contrast, was given a $1 million bail with the threat of life in prison for defending herself against her trafficker.

Kizer’s case drew national headlines as it played out in Wisconsin courts, highlighting the racial disparities present in the state’s justice system. Had law enforcement acted on the evidence—an extensive collection of child abuse material Volar created for his own gratification—he would have been held in custody and charged. Instead, a prolific abuser was released back into the community, where he soon resumed abusing minors.  

Faced with the possibility of spending the rest of her life behind bars, Kizer accepted a plea deal in August 2024 and was sentenced to 11 years in prison, plus an additional 5 years of state supervision, by Kenosha County Judge David Wilk.

Though her original Change.org petition garnered over 1.5 million signatures, Kizer has received minimal support from the public since beginning her time at Taycheedah Women’s Correctional Institution. Court fees levied against her commissary account prevented her from purchasing basic necessities and communicating with the outside world. In prison, she has been denied access to basic care, including mental health support services, despite multiple requests.

It’s time for that to change.

In collaboration with Chrystul and at the direction of her legal team, we’ve created a new petition. We’re told it could serve as a valuable asset in the appeal process and help demonstrate to Kenosha County judges that Chrystul still has our support.

CHRYSTUL’S STATEMENT

Hi, I'm Chrystul Kizer. I just want to say that I am a changed person from when I was 17 years old, even different from when I was 15. And sometimes I just can believe the person I've become and sometimes I can't believe it either. So much has happened that I didn't mean to happen. But I've grown to those changes and I'm a better person now than what I was back then and how D.A Michael Gravely tried to paint me out to be. Locking me up in prison can't tear or rip my spirits away from me. I had to live through this "experience" being sex trafficked by Randy. And this system has made it out that I am dangerous. I am not dangerous and I was never a threat. I'm loving and caring and I have a family. If the Kenosha Police Department would have done their jobs the correct way, I would not have been put in that position to where I had to defend myself against that child predator. They knew about him but did NOTHING, and now I have to pay for it. I understand fully and take accountability for my actions from my youth. I just want to move on with my life and begin treatment. I haven't healed from the trauma I went through while I was growing up. I was put in prison where they DON’T offer any type of treatment that will help me. I fight battles with myself every single day. There isn't a day that doesn't go by with a thought of Randy. I can't forget but I can forgive.  

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Sign the petition — It’s free and could make all the difference in securing her release.

Get in touch—If you’d like to do more to support Chrystul, consider sending her a personal letter via TextBehind or making a donation to her commissary fund. Need help? Email us: casw304@proton.me

Representing an organization?
Reach out to our team to add your organization to the list of Chrystul’s supporters:
casw304@proton.me

In solidarity with survivors,

CASW - CASW304.org
 #FreeChrystulKizer 

BLOC - Black Leaders Organizing Communities - www.blocbybloc.org

African American Roundtable - aartmke.org

Note: This petition was created by CASW, an organization committed to defending the safety and well-being of BOTH consenting adult sex workers AND trafficking survivors like Chrystul. While we encourage the public to recognize the very important distinctions between these groups, our liberation is intertwined.

At the time of the petition’s creation, Wisconsin counties routinely arrest minors under prostitution charges but fail to properly report child trafficking, meaning arrested minors are denied the support services to which they are legally entitled. In addition, a very real risk of arrest prevents sex workers who suspect trafficking from reporting it to the police.

Chrystul’s case underscores Wisconsin’s ongoing neglect of trafficking victims and its refusal of its mandated responsibility to connect survivors with the support and resources they desperately need.

CASW stands in solidarity with trafficking survivors, now and always. For more information, visit CASW304.org.