jail

Susan Burton’s Book Tour: Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Chicago

April 9, 2018 by Susan

Susan Burton’s Book Tour: Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Chicago

This blog posting is part of an ongoing series following our founder Susan Burton as she tours prisons, jails and re-entry programs across America with her book, “Becoming Ms. Burton.”

I recently returned from Chicago where I visited with the boys of the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. I was joined by Paul Pearson, a law student and regular volunteer at the facility, and Bella BAHHS, a Chicago native. As I made my way through the facility during those two days, visiting with the various pods, I noticed that it was overpopulated with young Black males. I learned that 93 percent of the boys there were African American, even though Black people make up only 32 percent of the population of Chicago.

One pod that caught my attention housed four young men who were labeled as unmanageable by the staff. These boys ranged in age from 15-17. As I spoke with them, I was struck by the intelligence of the young men. They were all exceptionally bright. They told me that they had come from environments that offered them no hope whatsoever and that the things they did to try to make their lives better had landed them in jail.

I understood that hopelessness. As I cycled in and out of prison for nearly two decades, I was not once offered help, or treatment for my addiction. It was only after many years and many trips to prison that I decided enough was enough and found a private drug rehabilitation facility that allowed me to finally come back into society.

I only expected to visit with the boys for one day, but someone told me about the “Adopt a Pod” program. I arranged to come back the next day to share a meal with the four young men in the pod. They just about jumped out of their seats when I told them I would bring back ribs, chicken, and fries with “mild sauce” (a Chicago condiment).

During our meal, Paul, Bella and I assured the boys that the circumstances they were born into weren’t their fault, but they have to learn how to navigate them so they don’t end up in places like this. I let each boy know that I saw him as capable of having a great future. I could see that they were genuinely seeking guidance, which is something that they had never been given.

Our society is so quick to throw people away after they make a mistake. If only we realized the power of making someone feel like they’re cared about and important. At one point, one of the boys told us, “You make me feel human.” How heartbreaking that he hadn’t felt that way before.

I let the young men know that I was going to do what I could to stay in touch with them and offer support while they are in the detention center and after they are released. I left my business cards with the young men and asked them to keep in touch with me. I wanted to be able to provide them some type of ongoing encouragement and real resources.

Bella was as affected as I was by the experience of meeting these young men. She plans to start volunteering at the center to help the young men learn to express themselves through spoken word. I think it will be powerful for them to have a release for what they’re thinking and feeling.

I met the instructor of the barber school at the facility, Bobby Mattison, who also wants to provide resources for the boys when they are released. Standing Tall Against Recidivism (STAR) Barber College not only gives the young men their barber license, but also skills to help them become productive members of their communities.

The instructor would like to create a barbershop in the community that could be a safe landing spot for the young men after they serve their time. He shared with me that he hopes Common, a hip-hop artist who’s from Chicago, would visit the center and help them open a barbershop in the community. So Common, I am calling on you to come rescue these young men!

Before I left, one of the guards told me that our visit has been helpful for the boys as well as the guards. I am grateful that my book is resonating with people across age, gender, class and racial lines. The message is universal, and the people are getting it!

Susan Burton’s Book Tour: Denver County Jail

March 19, 2018 by Susan

Susan Burton’s Book Tour: Denver County Jail

This blog posting is part of an ongoing series following our founder Susan Burton as she tours prisons, jails and re-entry programs across America with her book, “Becoming Ms. Burton.”

I spent my weekend visiting with over 200 women at Denver County Jail. The experience there was very moving like it has been at all of the facilities I’ve visited. The women were divided into eight pods that house 15 to 40 women each. I spent about 40 minutes in each pod, talking with and listening to the women and answering their questions. Some of the women had read Becoming Ms. Burton; some had not. They spoke about how they wanted to change their lives but did not have access to resources upon leaving jail.

I know firsthand the challenges women face after leaving prison and attempting to reintegrate into society. Over 80 percent of incarcerated women have experienced abuse prior to incarceration, and finding a way to heal from that and address it is challenging. And upon their release, women deal with both their original trauma and the traumatic effects of their incarceration.

I told the women that re-entry is not easy, but I know through the many ups and downs of my life that it can be done. They have to be willing to go after re-entry like many of them once went after drugs. They must stay the course and be willing to fight for their life. I have made it my mission to fight for my life and their lives too in hopes that they will be motivated to keep going. Some of the women told me that seeing me on the other side let them know that they can do it too.

I was joined at Denver Country Jail by Antoinette Gifford, a law professor, and Judge Fay, who some of the women recognized as the judge who sentenced them. Judge Fay asked the women if they had gotten assistance from the court, to which they replied, “We didn’t get any help; we were sent to prison.” The judge was moved by this comment, along with the story that one young lady shared about her journey through the foster care system before eventually becoming homeless. Since reading my book, Judge Fay said, she has actually changed the way she sentences those who enter her court room.

In Denver, I also attended a law conference where a district attorney asked me if she made my book available to her staff, would I come speak to them. I said, “Yes, if the prosecutors will go with me into the jail to talk to women.” Through interactions like these, I am seeing how Becoming Ms. Burton not only impacts the lives of those currently incarcerated but it’s also changing the hearts and minds of people who work in the criminal justice system!

Susan Burton’s Book Tour: Women’s Community Correctional Center, Kailua, Hawaii

March 13, 2018 by Susan

Susan Burton’s Book Tour: Women’s Community Correctional Center, Kailua, Hawaii

This blog posting is part of an ongoing series following our founder Susan Burton as she tours prisons, jails and re-entry programs across America with her book, “Becoming Ms. Burton.”

Last week I had the honor of visiting Hawaii and meeting with all five justices of the Hawaii Supreme Court to discuss ways to reduce recidivism through programs like ANWOL. It was a robust conversation that I believe will lead to further dialogue about how to positively impact the lives of incarcerated people in Hawaii.

Susan Burton is on a cross-country book tour, taking “Becoming Ms. Burton” into jails and prisons nationwide.

I went to Women’s Correctional Center (WCC) near Honolulu and was lucky enough to be there during “Prison Women Speak,” an annual program where the women showcase their talents. I was moved by their poetry recitations, dance numbers, skits and of songs of the movement. The resilience of the women was so pronounced, and I understood it.

The talent that exists in prisons across our country is striking. We spend millions of dollars to incarcerate these women, and following their release they have nothing, and all of the talent and all of the time they spent working on themselves is lost. It’s a waste – both for these women and for society.

While at WCC I also participated in the graduation of women involved in the Restorative Justice program. The 20-week program provides the women with tools for healing and reconciliation, which they in turn have taken into the general population in order to resolve conflicts and promote restorative justice among their peers. Empowering women to begin their own healing processes and use their experiences to help one another is a big step toward change in that population. The women were visibly moved by their experience in the class. One of the women present, who has cycled in and out of prison, expressed that this course was the first program that she’d ever participated in. She was really grateful for the opportunity and learned so much in her 20 week sessions.

Even though I’ve done my own time in prison, whenever I’m able to go back into a facility, I am grateful. I consider myself fortunate to share with these women in their moment of accomplishment. To people on the outside, graduating from a restorative program or standing up and reading a poem in front of people may not seem like much. But for incarcerated women, these achievements are everything. They are steps toward healing and regaining hope. I was so happy to be there to share the moment with them.