Staffed Homes Give Women Leaving Prison a Path to Reentry
Susan Burton argues that women leaving prison need a staffed, accountable community—not merely a bed—to avoid being pulled back into the conditions that led to incarceration. Drawing on her own experience of repeated imprisonment, she built a Los Angeles network of 12 homes that combine housing with work, legal and financial support, shared responsibilities and peer relationships. Through the Sisterhood Alliance for Freedom and Equality, Burton is training women to replicate that model, framing stable reentry as family preservation, community repair and public safety.
TED·Sep 7, 2026·4 min read
