A New Way of Life Reentry Project™
Helping women and girls break the cycle of entrapment in the
criminal justice system and lead healthy and satisfying lives
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A New Way of Life Reentry Project™ Helping women and girls break the cycle of entrapment in the criminal justice system and lead healthy and satisfying lives |
At A New Way of Life we believe that alongside the important work of providing reentry services,
we must also work to change some of the policies that continue to grow the need for reentry services
in our community—for example: government spending that prioritizes war and punishment over education,
health care, and affordable housing; sentencing laws that send an ever increasing number of people to
prison for longer and longer stays; and policies like One Strike, or the Welfare Ban that make it
difficult for people returning from prison to reestablish their lives. In hopes of addressing of
these policies, A New Way Of Life works as an advocate for alternative sentencing, reduced reliance
on incarceration, and more resources for reentry. In 2006, A New Way of Life Executive Director Susan
Burton was appointed to Governor Schwarzenegger‘s Little Hoover Sentencing Reform Commission and
Gender Responsive Strategies Commission.
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| Leadership and Recovery |
One of A New Way of Life’s core beliefs is that political consciousness and empowerment can be an important
part of the process of healing and recovery. It has been our experience that the process of developing a
critical analysis of the social, political, and economic circumstances that contributed to one’s
incarceration can be a powerful tool in healing from the trauma of imprisonment, addiction, and violence.
Further, becoming a participant in efforts to change those conditions for better, can contribute to a
process of self-discovery, understanding, and empowerment. A New Way of Life incorporates political
education and leadership development through two key programs.
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| Women Organizing for Justice |
A New Way Of Life’s Women Organizing for Justice project provides ongoing leadership and
skills-building opportunities for formerly incarcerated women through retreats, trainings,
internships, and public events.Each year, Women Organizing for Justice hosts a weekend-long leadership training retreat, bringing together 20-30 formerly incarcerated women to reflect collectively on the meaning and significance of women’s leadership, and to analyze the factors that may have stood in the way of their own development as leaders in their families and communities. Women leave the retreat with newfound confidence and commitment to a continued process of personal growth and public participation. This year, approximately 30 formerly incarcerated women from across southern California also gathered to sharpen their skills as media advocates. The 3-day training covered the basics of how to access the media, how to formulate and articulate a clear message, and how to use the media as a tool for grassroots organizing. The training was a huge success—just one month later, one participant had written her own Press Advisory, and landed a spot on the Steve Harvey radio show, as well as 100.3 The Beat! |
| The LEAD Project |
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Now entering its third year as a core component of A New Way of Life’s educational programming, the
LEAD Project (Leadership, Education, Action, and Dialogue) is a participatory political education
and leadership development program in partnership with Critical Resistance. The LEAD Project engages
formerly incarcerated women in bi-monthly workshops that examine various aspects of the prison
industrial complex, including the war on drugs, rising incarceration rates, and the history of
prisons. Each session helps participants make connections between the social, economic, and political
landscape of the prison industrial complex and the terms of their own imprisonment. In our experience,
people coming home from prison can benefit greatly from the opportunity to express themselves, to talk
about their own experiences of being incarcerated, and to understand, on a deeper level, how and why
such a dehumanizing system continues to exist and grow. Not only do project participants better
understand the connection between the prison system and the many issues that confront them upon release,
but they are also provided opportunities to gather necessary skills to become effective change agents in
their own communities. It is our belief that the leap from understanding one’s incarceration to taking
part in grassroots efforts to improve community conditions is not so far, given the support and mentoring
that Women Organizing for Justice and the LEAD Project provide.
residents produce their own digital stories: This year, three residents from A New Way Of Life produced their own "digital stories,"
short movies that document part of their life stories. Each story shares unique insights into the women's
struggles with addiction and incarceration, and the resources and strategies they used to reclaim their lives.
To order a copy of the digital stories, or to schedule a screening, please contact Melissa at: 323-563-3575,
or melissa@anewwayoflife.org
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