Meet Susan Burton. Between 1975 and 1995, she went to prison six times. But in 1995, she decided to say goodbye to prison forever.
She arrived at the Greyhound Bus station in downtown Los Angeles with $200 in her pocket and her few personal possessions, just like she had five times before. Just like all the women prisoners who are released do. But this time, it was different.
This time, instead of going back to a life of drugs and crime, she went to work. She got a job as a nurse for an elderly woman and saved enough money to buy a small bungalow in south central Los Angeles. Today, that bungalow is a transitional home for women just released from prison, called “A New Way Of Life”.
Susan’s partner is Mitzi Borzat. They have been friends for thirty years. They used to be partners in crime. Susan taught Mitzi how to steal, and Mitzi taught Susan how to sell drugs. Now, their partnership is focused on ending the viscous cycle of crime and incarceration that far too many women seem to be trapped in. Mitzi does the cooking for the residents, while Susan runs the office, talks to prisons and parole officers and keeps the women motivated.
When Susan hears from a prison that a woman is being released, she gets in her van, and drives to the bus station. When she meets a woman who needs a place to stay, she brings her back to the house. There are ten beds, and the women can stay as long as they need to, provided that they obey the house rules: Out of bed by 8:00am, stay sober, help with the housework, and try to pay $400.00 a month rent.
Susan knows all too well that the odds are stacked against the women, so she tries to provide them with a safe place to recover from prison, and more importantly, prepare for a new life outside the prison bars.
An earlier version of this story first aired June 6, 2002.