Telling your story is transformative. For both the storyteller and their audience, a new bridge to understanding is created. Susan Burton More Quotes by Susan Burton More Quotes From Susan Burton One of the things about incarceration is that you're deprived. You lose all of your identity, and then its given back one day, and you're ill-equipped to actually embrace it and work it. Susan Burton day you identity work I can remember, as a child, the happy days of us all piling into the car and going to the drive-in. And that was a weekly routine for my father. He was a proud black man, and that all sort of vanished as America began to export jobs. Susan Burton man car black father Most incarcerated women have stories that are similar to mine. They suffered great trauma as children. Susan Burton mine great women children I knew I wasn't born to be caged and chained up. Susan Burton knew up caged born The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery other than in prisons - but it was a lie that you regained your freedom once you left the prison gates. Susan Burton lie you constitution freedom There are so many bright people who just need an opportunity to help others and pay it forward. Susan Burton help-others help opportunity people Nothing good could ever have come of my life if I hadn't been able to get therapy and overcome my addictions. Susan Burton my-life nothing good life Education, hard work, dedication, a support system, and knowing my life had value - these were what had made all the difference. Susan Burton hard-work education work life Our ancestors went through so much in a fight for us to vote. So I believe that we should engage in all civic participation. It's healthy engagement. Susan Burton fight i-believe vote believe A New Way of Life is a safe house that women can come to after they're released from prison in South Los Angeles. It's a place for women to detox the trauma, the torture of incarceration, be welcomed and embraced and live and begin their new path to - if it's recovery or receiving mental health services, go back to school, get their children back. Susan Burton women health life children Each time I left prison, I left with the resolve to get my life together, to get a job, to get back on track. And each time, the task became more and more and more daunting. Susan Burton my-life together time life I went to pick my son up from school and walked him back and was in the house preparing dinner, and he came in the house and gave me this flower of chrysanthemum that was full of ants. And he went back out to play and ran out into the street and got hit by a car. The car happened to be driven by a LAPD detective. Susan Burton me car flower son Long before I ever got incarcerated, I should've been able to access services that help me deal with the grief and the loss of my son, that help me deal with the trauma, the abuse that I experienced as a child. Susan Burton child me long son It's important the sheriff and the D.A. work with the community to realize real-world solutions. If they make decisions in silos, it will fall short. Susan Burton short community work fall Insulin is a crisis medication. Susan Burton insulin medication crisis After six prison commitments, at the end of those, I was more broken than when I went into the system. Susan Burton end more prison broken We keep a woman in prison for decade after decade at a cost of $60,000 a year, and then give them $200 when they hit the gates for release. And, adios. People have to get their IDs, Social Security cards. They have to get clothing, housing, apply for benefits and services, and it's impossible to do with 200 bucks. Susan Burton woman prison impossible people We continue to work on policy to end discrimination against people with criminal records. Susan Burton end discrimination work people Morning meditation is important to start every day on a positive note. Susan Burton every-day day morning positive Unless we address those that are leaving prisons, we can't begin to repair the damage of mass incarceration and make our communities whole and healthy once again. Susan Burton repair make leaving healthy
