Kayla DeHoniesto

Debtors' Prison Project Communications Strategist

Kayla DeHoniesto is a Communications Strategist with the Debtors’ Prison Project. Her position helps support DPP’s advocacy and litigation efforts in decriminalizing poverty and protecting the rights of indigent people. Kayla provides support to DPP by leading communications initiatives related to DPP’s strategic vision and plan, including developing narrative strategies, increasing visibility through media placements, and building public awareness of the issues at the heart of DPP’s advocacy.

Previously, Kayla held the position of DPP Investigator, where she provided support in fact development and analysis, building relationships with stakeholders, and strategic planning alongside DPP attorneys.

In graduate school, Kayla worked on a year-long capstone project with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) focused on using comprehensive qualitative research to improve North Carolina’s juvenile criminal legal system. Using a participatory action framework, Kayla and her team published a white paper outlining youth-led policy proposals aimed at improving the system for justice-impacted youth and their families. Throughout her undergraduate and graduate career at UNC, Kayla partnered with local and state organizations to champion advocacy efforts for environmental justice, housing justice, and racial equity in North Carolina.

Before joining Public Justice, Kayla graduated from the Gillings School of Global Public Health with a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Equity, Social Justice, and Human Rights in May 2023. She received her B.A. in Anthropology and Global Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2020. Kayla is based in Durham, North Carolina and teaches dance classes for studios in her area.

In her free time, you can find Kayla attending concerts, binge-watching reality TV, or tending to her growing number of plants.