Summer reading: Becoming Ms. Burton

Book cover for becoming ms. burtonBecoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women
Burton, Susan, Cari Lynn, and Michelle Alexander

For Sue Burton, it was a vicious cycle of poverty, racism, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, drug addiction, depression, and, most tragically, the death of her 5-year-old son that led to a total of six imprisonments over the course of 15 years. Overcoming incredible odds, Burton went on to eventually create several homes where formerly incarcerated women could live in safety and be reunited with their children. These homes provided traditional re-entry services for women recently released from prison but, more importantly, provided emotional support and community. Eventually establishing a foundation, A New Way of Life, Burton’s advocacy work challenges the current criminal justice system and the institutional and societal forces that lead women into a cycle of mass incarceration.

MARGARET PHILLIPS
Librarian
Social Sciences Division

This book is part of the 2020 Berkeley Summer Reading List. Stay tuned for more weekly posts!