From the Back of the Bus to the Front of the Prison

The Impact of the California Prison System and the Budget Crisis upon Women and their Communities

Susan Burton

 
Susan Burton and her story of perseverance in overcoming overwhelming odds is an inspiration to women across the United States, particularly formerly incarcerated women and women in recovery from addiction to alcohol and drugs. After cycling in an out of the criminal justice system for nearly fifteen years, Ms. Burton gained freedom and sobriety and founded A New Way of Life Reentry Project in Los Angeles in 1998. She
opened her doors to other women returning home from prisons and jails, offering shelter, safety, leadership, and support to those seeking to rebuild their lives. Dedicating her life to helping other women break the cycle of incarceration, homelessness, addiction and despair, Ms. Burton became a recognized leader in the criminal justice reform and reentry rights movements. In 2010, she was recognized as a CNN Top 10 Hero and received the Citizen Activist Award from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. An influential California leader, she has served as a Soros Justice Fellow, a Women’s Policy Institute Fellow, and a former Community Fellow under the Violence Prevention Initiative of The California Wellness Foundation.

Sponsored by the UCSB Center for Black Studies Research. Co-sponsors include:  Office of Equal Opportunity and Sexual Harassment; Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Academic Policy; Center New Racial Studies, UCSB; Office of the Chancellor; MultiCultural Center; Mbanefo Foundation; American Cultures & Global Contexts Center; Black Studies Department; Chicano Studies Institute; Asian American Studies; Chicano/a Studies; Stephanie L. Batiste, PhD/English Dept.; Feminist Studies/Hull Chair; Global & International Studies; and Film and Media Studies.