• Becoming Ms. Burton

  • From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women
  • By: Susan Burton, Cari Lynn
  • Narrated by: Janina Edwards
  • Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (271 ratings)

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Becoming Ms. Burton

By: Susan Burton, Cari Lynn
Narrated by: Janina Edwards
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Publisher's summary

One woman's remarkable odyssey from tragedy to prison to recovery - and recognition as a leading figure in the national justice reform movement.

Susan Burton's world changed in an instant when her five-year-old son was killed by a van driving down their street. Consumed by grief and without access to professional help, Susan self-medicated, becoming addicted first to cocaine then to crack. As a resident of South Los Angeles, a Black community under siege in the War on Drugs, it was but a matter of time before Susan was arrested. She cycled in and out of prison for over 15 years; never was she offered therapy or treatment for addiction. On her own, she eventually found a private drug rehabilitation facility.

Once clean, Susan dedicated her life to supporting women facing similar struggles. Her organization, A New Way of Life, operates five safe homes in Los Angeles that supply a lifeline to hundreds of formerly incarcerated women and their children - setting them on the track to education and employment rather than returning to prison. Becoming Ms. Burton not only humanizes the deleterious impact of mass incarceration, it also points the way to the kind of structural and policy changes that will offer formerly incarcerated people the possibility of lives of meaning and dignity.

©2017 Susan Burton and Cari Lynn (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Becoming Ms. Burton

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Compelling

This is the story of Burton’s life. The co-author is journalist and writer Cari Lynn. The first part of the book is about Burton’s early years in which she suffered from emotional neglect and sexual abuse. After Burton’s five-year-old son was killed by an automobile, she became a drug addict. This began years of being in and out of prison.

The second half of the book reveals her path to recovery. She formed a nonprofit organization entitled “A New Way of Life Reentry Project”. This organization helps other women stay out of prison and re-enter society. Burton has won many awards for her work and the Los Angeles Times named her one of the Nation’s New Civil Rights Leaders. She advocated for a more humane justice system guided by compassion and dignity.

The book is well written and easy to read. Along with her life story, Burton also examines a number of issues in a broader context such as: How the lack of employment and housing opportunities increase the odds of a person returning to prison. She writes about ways to change these societal issues. Burton also provides statistics to reveal a fuller perspective of the problems of the prison system. Ms. Burton’s book not only inspires but educates.

The book is ten and a half hours long. Janina Edwards does a good job narrating the book. Edwards is a voice over artist and audiobook narrator.

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9 people found this helpful

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Great!

Extremely eye-opening book that describes the struggles that so many millions of Americans face, which we rarely hear about. Inspiring, with the message that each person can make a difference. And hardships and struggles can be turned into an asset!

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so full of information.

this book brought me to tears of sadness and joy. I knew I would love it and I did

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4 people found this helpful

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Great reading/understanding for my Demographic

I am a college educated, middle class, 69 year-old, white protestant male without any exposure to the world documented here. I feel ashamed in this ignorance. Thank you for sending me down a new road to base an understanding of what has all along surrounded me and my family. I don't know what action I'll take with this - too new. Opportunity always follows understanding.

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The Necessary Reform of US Prisions

Thank you Ms. Burton for shining a light on the revolving door of the prison and criminal judicial systems, both designed to segregate the poorest of our population by locking them up and throwing away the key.

Ms. Burton was able to turn her situation around, and use it to become an instrument of much needed change. She was able to mobilize the communities most impacted & inspired others to assist in amazing ways.

Everyone should read or listen to “Becoming Ms Burton” this books lifts the veil of ignorance surrounding the unfair, harsh and unequal criminal justice system. And the sometimes unavoidable circumstances like addiction that can land in the system instead of treatment.

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5 stars isn’t enough!

I learned of Ms. Burton in 2010 when I saw her on CNN Heroes- now, some 14 years later I’m reading her book as a Correctional Officer for Arizona State…I seriously want to buy a case of these books and hand them out from our Warden to the inmate libraries! This is a must read!!

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Quite inspiring story& important insights!

To become Ms Burton, from where she started is amazing! Important insights into the realized of the Criminal (in)justice system and why it’s so difficult to get out of the cycle. As well as what would really work!!

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A humbling & amazing journey

This book is a candid reminder that we still have much work to do as a society. We cannot continue to clamor for politicians to be tough on crime while we give America a pass on the well documented causes of crime. We (brothers) must do a better job of protecting & respecting our sistas.

Thank you to both Ms. Burton & Toni for sharing this with us. 🙏🏾

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A MUST READ!

We all need our eyes and minds opened!!! Thank you Susan, I look forward to meeting you one day!

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A must read for any adult in America

This book opened my eyes to how challenging it is for formerly incarcerated individuals to create a new way of life for themselves once released. As hard as it is to endure prison, it can be much harder on the outside where they are forced to pay their dues again and again. Susan Burton’s story is both horrifying and inspiring. I’ll never see a formerly incarcerated person the same way again.

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