A New Way of Life

Linking promise with opportunity

susan burton

ANWOL heads to Uganda

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ANWOL is taking its model abroad! Just weeks after leading SAFE Housing Network‘s first replication training in December, our founder, Susan Burton, traveled to Kampala at the beginning of 2019 to meet with officials from the Uganda Prisons Service (which is part of the Ugandan government) and the African NGO Wells of Hope Ministries to discuss the need for safe housing for formerly incarcerated women.

When Ugandan women are released from prison, they are often shamed and shunned by society, pushed out of their villages and left to fend for themselves. During this meeting, the Ugandan government recognized the need for reentry housing and services for these women. “The Prisons Service was very welcoming and open to our message,” Susan said. “They’re ready to get safe housing for women off the ground.”

Wells of Hope is already working in Uganda and several other African nations to support prisoners and their children. Susan accompanied founder Francis Ssuubi to Wells of Hope’s school to meet with students who couldn’t remain in their old schools because of the bullying and teasing they were forced to endure for having incarcerated parents. Plans are now in development for ANWOL to help Wells of Hope to expand its reach and deliver much-needed safe housing services to formerly incarcerated Ugandan women. “We want to rebuild the family ties of these women,” Susan said. “Reentry housing will help facilitate that.”

 

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Susan Burton’s Book Tour: Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women & Elayn Hunt Correctional Facility, Louisiana

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Susan Burton’s Book Tour: Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women & Elayn Hunt Correctional Facility, Louisiana

I recently visited two prisons in Louisiana, where I had an opportunity to shift the conversation around victimhood. At these prisons, Elayn Hunt Correctional Facility and the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, my presentation to the women was rolled into a National Crime Victims’ Rights Week event called “Expand the Circle, Reach All Victims.” I had mixed feelings about this event.

Before I went on stage, two victim advocates from the DA’s office gave a presentation encouraging more victims to come forward. It’s true that the voices of victims need to be heard. It’s important for them to get the help they need to move beyond their trauma. However, I questioned the motivation behind this call from the DA’s office for more victims to speak up. Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and it has always been known for its harsh sentencing. (One of the women I met there has been in prison since 1988 and has received her divinity degree behind bars. How long does Louisiana think it takes to rehabilitate someone?) Because of its financial reliance on civil forfeiture and prison labor, Louisiana has an incentive to arrest and incarcerate people. Are they saying “bring more victims forward” when what they really mean is “prosecute more people”?

As I listened to the victim advocates and waited to give my own talk, I began to think about what I was going to tell the women incarcerated in that facility. I believe that we absolutely need to “expand the circle” of victims. But there is one group of victims that is rarely heard, and that’s incarcerated women. It’s been estimated that 80 to 90 percent of women behind bars have been physically or sexually abused during their lives.

When I took the stage to speak to the women, I asked, “What about us? What about those of us who’ve been in the ‘abuse to prison pipeline’?” I reminded the women that they are victims too. It’s important that they remember that. When I asked the women in these facilities to raise their hands if they’d ever suffered abuse, more than half of them did. Where was their help? When did anyone advocate on their behalf? The answer is that most of them never got anything. Instead, they were punished for their responses to coping with trauma. We’re all humans who make mistakes, but some of us can’t afford to make mistakes. I told the women that we have to be the ones to take care of ourselves.

After I finished my talk, I signed books for 45 minutes to make sure that every woman there got an autographed copy of “Becoming Ms. Burton.” The warden got a hold of my book right before I arrived; he told me it was so compelling that he stayed up and read half the book in the middle of the night. When I wrote “Becoming Ms. Burton,” I wrote it for people in prison. I never dreamed it would have the effect it’s been having on wardens, corrections officers, prosecutors and judges. It still amazes me how many people the book has touched.

I want to thank Norris Henderson and Dolfinette Martin of Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) for accompanying me into both facilities. VOTE is a great Louisiana organization run by formerly incarcerated people. I encourage you to learn more about the work they are doing to fight mass incarceration and restore the rights of the formerly incarcerated. https://www.vote-nola.org/

Susan Burton’s Book Tour: Albany County Correctional Facility, Albany, NY

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I recently returned from Albany where I visited with a group of 20 women who were in a drug rehab program at Albany County Correctional Facility, along with Paul Grondahl of New York State Writers Institute and Dr. Alice Green of the Center for Law and Justice in Albany. It was striking for me to see the women assemble in the room in their identical orange uniforms. To me, that showed what incarceration can do: it takes away a person’s individuality and identity, stripping them of the very things that make them who they are.

Since it was a smaller group than I usually meet with on my tour, this visit was more intimate. We sat in a circle and I asked each woman to introduce herself and to share one of her goals. Many of the women talked about wanting to rebuild their relationships with their children. Others talked about wanting to become beauticians or pursue other careers.

Paul Grondahl (director of New York Writers Institute), Susan Burton and Dr. Alice Green (executive director of the Center for Law and Justice)

There was one woman there who was a little over 50 years old. I could tell that she had been through a lot and that she had a wall around her, so I spent some time chipping away at that wall. I told her that I was 46 the last time I was released and I was almost 50 when I started A New Way of Life Re-Entry Project. Just because she’s middle aged, her life is not over yet. It’s never too late to change your life.

When I asked the women how many of them had been incarcerated here before, every single hand went up. I wish I could say that this surprised me, but it didn’t. Recovering from addiction is an issue for so many people who cycle through incarceration. Far too often, people fail during recovery because they go back into the same old environment where there is not a lot of support for them.

A woman opened up to me about a recovery home she went to that was filled with drugs. While she was there, she had access to any drug she wanted and she just didn’t have the ability to fight her urges in the center of this drug den that was supposed to be a rehabilitation facility. I think there’s a certain level of commitment that any provider must have to keeping drugs out, and some facilities simply lack that commitment.

The women and I had a good conversation for about an hour about my book and the need for them to get reentry support. Every time I walk away from one of these facilities, I have the same feeling: that these women need to be welcomed into a home that’s drug and alcohol free and into a safe space where they will not only be allowed to heal but also be treated with dignity.  There isn’t a city or town in this country that doesn’t need a model like A New Way of Life Re-Entry Project. While I want to do everything for everybody, I know that in order to be effective, I have to focus on what is manageable. Later this year, I will be starting a new project to help others replicate what we do at ANWOL. More details on this will be coming soon.

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

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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

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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!

 

Passing the Torch: 2016 Gala & Beyond

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Associate Director Tiffany Johnson shares her thoughts on the 2016 Gala and the organization’s direction moving forward

 

    I sat down today with our Associate Director Tiffany Johnson to catch up on the Gala. It’s been two days since the event, and although the fatigue in organizing such an enormous event is evident as she speaks in a mellow tone, she is nevertheless warm and dedicated to her work. There are few moments during which I’ve seen Tiffany catch some rest. In fact, most would believe she never does—the rare exceptions being her forced trips to the hospital for her neck acts up (she is in recovery for a herniated disc which she began suffering from last spring). Her eyes light up as we relive the Gala together and cover the highlights.

     “We had expected anywhere from 300-350 people tops. The day before and the day of the gala our numbers went up significantly, to about 450.”

She’s excited to see the actual count which is roughly estimated to be around 500.

     “Given that there were that many people there, the program went so smoothly. We were able to get our residents engaged by getting their photos on the red carpet which was phenomenal. The silent auction area was beautiful, elegant and very tempting to the eye, and I believe we sold the majority of the baskets.”

     Indeed our Gala did run very smoothly given the remarkably high attendance this year. Furthermore, our 2016 Gala saw a number of high-profile celebrities and personalities visit and speak, making this year’s gala one of our most star-studded events yet.

     “Kym Whitley, LisaRaye, Christine Devine (just to name a few) are very well-known, so for them to come and support the Gala and to celebrate our residents and to present them with awards—I think that was an inspiration to the women. To be presented this special award for the hard work that they’ve been doing was surely a proud moment for them, one that would encourage them to move further in their journey.”

     Our honored 2016 Gala guests were active participants. They were not just supportive, but engaged. These relationships are helpful to an organization like ours. Tiffany briefly reflects on this:

     “You never know how the relationships might unfold. Christine Devine — we know that she is this very prominent newscaster, but for her to share her personal story and the struggles that her family went through, the connection that brought her to ANWOL’s Gala is the same connection we have in the work that we’re doing. Seeing how her own family has faced incarceration, that shows me that it’s not just within the communities of color and the low-income communities… mass incarceration touches every sector of our society, and now that it’s being brought out, spoken on and fought against, I think more people will stand up alongside us.”

“…mass incarceration touches every sector of our society, and now that it’s being brought out, spoken on and fought against, I think more people will stand up alongside us.”

     Carolyn Robinson and Vasanté Bailey were both presented with the Flozelle Woodmore Memorial Award, introduced by LisaRaye McCoy and Kym Whitley respectively. Lennie James was also at the event to receive the Industry Impact Award on behalf of Emma Hewitt. Tessa Blake shared some words on her behalf.

     Rhyon Nicole Brown introduced our Community Champion Award, received by Dr. Cheryl Grills. Additionally, KPFK’s Margaret Prescod was present to give a moving and well-deserved introduction to Michelle Alexander.

     “I think Margaret Prescod said it all when she introduced Michelle Alexander. I think she is one of our modern day civil rights movement builders. Having her was great—looking at her and hearing her, she presents herself in such a humble fashion and to me that speaks volumes about her as a person, and you see this in her work as well. Her book The New Jim Crow is crucial because it informs the public of our struggle against mass incarceration and discrimination against people of color. It’s a wake-up call and a call to action.”

“[The New Jim Crow] is a wake-up call and a call to action.”

     Finally, Tiffany and I talk about the future of A New Way of Life, our direction and her selection as Susan’s successor.

     “I am deeply humbled that Susan has chosen me to be her successor. As I said during the Gala, she has seen a promise in me and has given me the opportunity to become who I am and who I am destined to be. The transition in my eyes is going to be continuous, and I say that because I will always go to her as my mentor to help lead and guide me. In addition, we have a dedicated team at A New Way of Life—these are the champions who are doing the everyday work that needs to get done for our cause. I’m thankful and honored to be working with such a dynamic group of people and to stand side by side with them as we continue to make changes and elevate the quality of people’s lives.”

     That’s the key here—that our work is constantly changing people’s lives and elevating their quality of life. Tiffany reflects on a moment during which she saw the fruits of our labor during a serendipitous encounter with a former client of A New Way of Life:

     “This guy came up to me the other day when I was on my way to a meeting with the Board of Supervisors in downtown, and he came up to me and he said ‘thank you. You guys helped me with my expungment and that has meant the world to me.’ We spoke for a bit, and I learned that he works now with another nonprofit doing the same kind of work—giving back, and that’s what it’s all about. People just want an opportunity, a new chance to start fresh. And that’s what we do, we assist people in their new way of living.”

Lastly, Tiffany shed some light on the future and the direction our organization will take in the coming years.

     “The core passion that has guided us up until now will continue strong into next year. That isn’t changing. We’re a passionate group of people. This is who we are and what we do, and that’s not going to change.”

 

Eric Villalpando

ANWOL Communications Dept.