In 2013, New York State launched the Human Trafficking Intervention Courts (HTIC). These unique courts were the first of their kind in the United States, with the goal of connecting victims of sex trafficking with the services aimed to empower them to leave a life of torture and abuse. The Queens’ HTIC , presided over by the Honorable Toko Serita, attempts to redress the way women arrested for prostitution are shuffled through the criminal justice system. Judge Serita and a team of dedicated counselors and attorneys try to create a safe, individualized process within the confines of a legal system that is often dehumanizing.

The overwhelming majority of women who appear before Judge Serita are undocumented Asian immigrants, black, Latinx and transgender women. As BLOWIN' UP unfolds, we hear directly from these women, in their own words, and we begin to understand the complex scenarios that bring them into the courtroom.

Through their stories, filmmaker Stephanie Wang-Breal sensitively reveals how a court can work towards problem-solving. The question asked over and over by defense teams and social workers – and through them, by viewers – is: Why are these women arrested in the first place? How would we all benefit from a legal system that sees humans rather than labels and defines its purpose as helping everyone live a better life?