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The lived 
experience of incarceration

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is difficult, but a woman's 
experience is markedly

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different from 
that of a man.

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Their time in jail is 
almost universally abusive,

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humiliating, and cruel.

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When their prison 
terms come to an end,

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what women need most 
is a helping hand,

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a launching pad 
to a new life,

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a safe haven that brings 
us to the door of

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Ardella's House 
in Philadelphia.

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[music]

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Returning Citizens 
is made possible by

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[music]

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[music]

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The United Way, fostering 
the success of those who as

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they return to our 
neighborhoods remain a

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largely untapped resource.

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The formerly incarcerated 
Waterman Two Fund of the

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Philadelphia Foundation at the 
recommendation of David Haas.

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The Independence Foundation.

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I almost thinks she 
used to rehab ...

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Hi. 
Hi Tonie.

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Welcome, welcome. 
Welcome to Ardella's House.

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Thank you. 
Thank you.

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Look at this, it's gorgeous. 
Yeah.

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Thank you.

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Ms. Tonie, how did you get 
the resources to make this

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beautiful space?

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Ms. Burton, Safe 
Housing Network,

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it was like a dream.

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I was praying a lot because 
I knew how I wanted this

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house to look and I knew 
that I needed funding.

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I couldn't do it, I got 
tired of begging people

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because people didn't 
understand cause they had

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never been incarcerated, so 
they didn't understand my

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pain and what I 
needed for the women.

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No one understood 
but Ms. Burton.

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I'm putting everything I 
can into changing the game.

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Susan Burton has been called 
a modern-day Harriet Tubman

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for her powerful leadership of 
formerly incarcerated women.

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Susan came up the hard way, 
but she says mistakes belong

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to the past and she 
belongs to the future.

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She has built a worldwide 
network of safe houses that

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offer returning citizens 
a room of their own and a

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sisterhood of 
healing and support.

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Susan, you had a 
rough growing up.

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Yes.

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What was that like?

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Instead of 
dressing my dolls up,

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I was trying to figure 
out how to keep my dress on

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because people 
were harming me.

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What, what, what's 
some of the trauma?

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I know this is tough to ... 
Yeah yeah.

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Talk about what 
about in your ...

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I mean, I mean sexual ways, 
ways where there would be

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physical harm, 
there were beatings,

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there was, you 
know, just so much.

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And how did you cope?

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You know, I 
learned to survive.

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I learned to mitigate the 
harms that were happening,

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I learned to dodge 
this one for that one.

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And, you know, I just 
learned to survive.

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And did some of that 
survival include stuff that

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will be considered 
criminal breaking the law?

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When the day my 
son was killed,

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the day he died, I just could 
not hold any more harm.

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The grief was unbearable 
and I began to drink.

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I'm so sorry 
about your your son.

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Yeah. 
It's such a tragic story.

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Yeah, yeah. 
What, what happened to him?

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So I picked my son up 
from school and I was in the

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kitchen cooking and he 
was out playing

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and a LAPD detective 
ran him over.

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The, the death was 
accidental but it didn't

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feel accidental 
when someone runs,

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your son runs your child over 
and never gets out the car.

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How old was he? 
Five.

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Five. 
He was five.

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He brought you a flower.

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He had brought me in a 
flower a chrysanthemum and

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it was full of ants 
and he said here mommy,

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this is for you and, 
and then he was gone.

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I could no longer stand and 
bear all of the harm I had

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to be an experiencing through 
life so I began to drink.

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The war on drugs was in 
full flight in my community.

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I began to, it escalated 
the drinking escalated to

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substance use, and for 
the substance use

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I was incarcerated.

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And what was the 
experience of being

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incarcerated like for you?

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I felt like what I believe 
my ancestors

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experienced in slavery.

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I was stripped and robbed of 
my community and my identity

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and my individuality.

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I was stripped out of my 
clothes and sprayed like an

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animal and put in garments 
that were prison garments.

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I was shuffled to meals 
and fed food that

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sometimes was 
unrecognizable.

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So you didn't feel like 
you were getting any

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kind of rehabilitation?

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You have to understand 
that I was in a revolving

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door of incarceration.

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How many times were you?

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Six times I went in 
and out of prison.

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And I want to hear more 
about how you went from that

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very broken 
woman to Ms. Burton.

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Yeah.

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This extremely successful 
social justice entrepreneur,

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CNN Award winner, and double 
ACP Image Award winner.

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I made my way to a treatment 
facility in Santa Monica,

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a wealthy area of Los 
Angeles County about five

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miles down the 
highway from South LA.

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But a world of difference?

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A world of difference, it 
was like two completely

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different worlds, Santa 
Monica's was resourced.

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For the first time in 
my life, I felt safe.

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I went into that 
treatment facility,

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they fed me, 
they clothed me,

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they treated me 
with dignity.

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And then I began to think, 
if I could build something

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like this, if I could create 
something like this in South LA

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that they had 
in Santa Monica,

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then perhaps I can 
help my community.

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And the other thing is that 
I couldn't take back the

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years of pain and suffering 
that I had endured going in

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and out of prison but I 
could help another woman

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not endure the cycle of 
incarceration and break the

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recidivism for her if 
there was a place to go.

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So people have this idea 
when you come home that

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everybody's got a 
home to go to family,

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friends who were 
waiting with open arms.

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You know, I've 
heard people tell me,

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why don't you just pull 
yourself up by your bootstraps?

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And what I have to say, 
say to them is I'm barefoot,

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I have no boots.

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And all these women 
across the nation,

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they're leaving prisons 
and jails without boots too.

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Because women have different 
challenges coming

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home than men do. 
It's not easy for men.

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Yeah. 
Even harder for women.

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Usually there is 
a woman that's,

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that's waiting to, to, to 
be with them when they come

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home but when we 
incarcerated the,

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the husband or the man goes 
on and finds another woman

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and leaves us and 
it's, it's you,

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you can tell by 
the visiting room,

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men's visiting 
rooms are full.

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Women's visiting 
rooms are pretty,

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pretty, you know, 
scarce with visitors.

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So you wanted to reach 
out to women specifically?

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I wanted to give what had 
been given to me to other

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women because it 
was so helpful.

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You started just by picking up 
women who were coming home.

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I got a little house and I 
called it A New Way Of Life

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because that's 
what I'd found.

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I had found a new way of 
life and I wanted to offer

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it to other women.

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And you picked them up 
at the bus and then what?

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I'd bring him on home.

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I'd say, girl, I have a 
place to go and if you want

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to come there, it's drug and 
alcohol free and it's safe

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and it's clean and there's 
a bed there for you if you

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want to come live there.

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But at first, 
this was your house.

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This was my house and 
we live there together,

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and it was the most 
beautiful community

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I have ever been in.

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It was a community of 
women helping women.

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We cooked together, 
we shared resources,

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we laughed together, 
we cried together,

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we went to 
meetings together.

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We, you know, slept 
under the same roof,

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waked in the morning, 
we healed together.

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Tonie Willis didn't want to 
create just a shelter for

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formerly incarcerated women.

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She understood that a 
gorgeous place they could

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call home would help 
them thrive and rise up.

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Everything had 
to be perfect,

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because Tonie named 
Ardella's house after the

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most inspiring person 
she knew, her mom.

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What was your mom like?

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Loving, there was no one 
more loving than my mother.

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When I started 
Ardella's house,

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I wanted like a therapeutic 
name for Ardella's house and

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I was coming up with 
these different names.

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And a friend of mine, he 
was looking at me like I was

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crazy and I 
said what's wrong?

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I said you don't like these 
names I'm coming up with.

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He said you want to name 
your program after your

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00:12:06,466 --> 00:12:08,666
mother because there was 
nobody more loving and

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caring than your mother.

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My mother didn't believe 
in throwing people away,

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she saw good and everybody.

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And what does it mean that 
this is Ardella's house?

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My mother loved all 
of us unconditionally,

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and like I said, she's 
all good in everybody,

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so I just hope that I'm 
making her proud by naming

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this program after her.

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So your mom inspired 
you to pay it forward,

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00:12:35,833 --> 00:12:40,933
but why this particular 
house with this service?

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A man can come 
home today, tomorrow,

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00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,333
and might look up Sharon, 
who he was running with

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00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:47,666
before his 
incarceration, and say,

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00:12:47,733 --> 00:12:49,466
hey, can I move 
in or whatever?

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00:12:49,533 --> 00:12:53,633
Women, a high percentage of 
women are mothers and they

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00:12:53,700 --> 00:12:55,800
can't just come home and 
grab their kids and

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00:12:55,866 --> 00:12:56,833
move in with somebody.

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00:12:56,900 --> 00:13:00,233
So I decided to do work 
around women that were

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00:13:00,300 --> 00:13:03,333
coming home and make 
sure that they have all the

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00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:08,100
things they need to 
succeed once they're home.

211
00:13:08,166 --> 00:13:11,366
And you have personal 
experience with incarceration?

212
00:13:11,433 --> 00:13:15,133
Yes, sometimes I forget that 
I was formerly incarcerated

213
00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,733
because it was in my early 
20s and I'm a woman of a

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00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:20,366
certain age 
now, we won't say,

215
00:13:20,433 --> 00:13:22,166
but sometimes I 
forget about it.

216
00:13:22,233 --> 00:13:26,000
But I didn't have some of 
the stories that I hear from

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00:13:26,066 --> 00:13:27,133
the other women.

218
00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:30,033
I was blessed to have had a 
house when I went in and

219
00:13:30,100 --> 00:13:32,133
I still had a house 
when I came home.

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00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:35,066
I didn't have any of the 
challenges that a lot of

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00:13:35,133 --> 00:13:37,600
these women have 
that we work with.

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So it was important for me 
to help them to find housing

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00:13:41,166 --> 00:13:43,333
and to give them a 
place to come to.

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00:13:43,900 --> 00:13:46,600
You know a lot of women that 
are incarcerated have very

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00:13:46,666 --> 00:13:49,100
low self-esteem 
and sometimes their

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00:13:49,166 --> 00:13:53,633
incarceration is because I 
call them crimes of passion.

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00:13:53,700 --> 00:13:55,533
Because of them 
having low self-esteem,

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00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:57,533
they choose the 
wrong person to love,

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00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:59,233
the wrong person to 
bring into their lives.

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So it was important for 
me to help boost their

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00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,833
self-esteem, to teach them and 
let them know their self-worth.

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00:14:06,900 --> 00:14:10,566
So there are a lot of women 
who come home who I'm sure

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00:14:10,633 --> 00:14:13,433
would love to be 
in this space.

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00:14:13,500 --> 00:14:17,100
How do you decide 
who gets to live here?

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00:14:17,166 --> 00:14:20,733
Well, we work very 
close with parole and the

236
00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:24,500
counselors inside of the prison 
to make sure it's a good fit.

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00:14:24,566 --> 00:14:28,166
We don't take women 
with mental illness.

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00:14:28,233 --> 00:14:31,133
When we started, we used to 
say that we wouldn't take

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00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,100
violent offenders, but we 
had to change it because so

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00:14:33,166 --> 00:14:36,333
many women are incarcerated 
and never shown any signs of

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00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,300
being violent before until 
they couldn't stand being in

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00:14:39,366 --> 00:14:42,400
an abusive relationship 
anymore and striked out at

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00:14:42,466 --> 00:14:45,000
their love or whether 
they killed them or just

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00:14:45,066 --> 00:14:47,300
physically hurt 
them some type of way.

245
00:14:47,366 --> 00:14:50,166
So we had to change that 
and so we take some

246
00:14:50,233 --> 00:14:51,466
violent offenders now.

247
00:14:51,533 --> 00:14:54,466
And what kind of services do 
they receive when they're here?

248
00:14:54,533 --> 00:14:56,633
We have full wrap 
around service.

249
00:14:56,700 --> 00:14:59,100
We have mentoring, we 
have felony unification,

250
00:14:59,166 --> 00:15:01,833
we have drug and 
alcohol, we have GED.

251
00:15:01,900 --> 00:15:05,000
Do you think women people 
get angry or at women?

252
00:15:05,066 --> 00:15:07,433
It's it seems like 
it's different for women.

253
00:15:07,500 --> 00:15:10,900
Women are still the fastest 
growing population of

254
00:15:10,966 --> 00:15:12,033
mass incarceration.

255
00:15:12,100 --> 00:15:14,800
But a lot of times when I 
go across the country to a

256
00:15:14,866 --> 00:15:17,166
conference or listen to 
people talk about mass

257
00:15:17,233 --> 00:15:20,066
incarceration, they still 
don't talk about the women

258
00:15:20,133 --> 00:15:20,766
the way they should.

259
00:15:20,833 --> 00:15:22,000
They still talk 
about the men.

260
00:15:22,066 --> 00:15:25,333
Even the jumpsuits that 
are in the prisons are still

261
00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:27,300
geared towards 
men and not women.

262
00:15:27,366 --> 00:15:30,266
So you share really 
beautiful memories about

263
00:15:30,333 --> 00:15:32,333
your mom, Ardella.

264
00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:36,733
What would you like people 
to remember about Ms. Tonie?

265
00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:41,433
I just want them to know 
that I'm loving and caring

266
00:15:41,500 --> 00:15:47,633
and I'm always trying to show 
them the best of their self's.

267
00:15:47,700 --> 00:15:50,466
Where do you get the 
strength to keep on keeping

268
00:15:50,533 --> 00:15:53,333
on when nothing 
seems to go right?

269
00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:59,266
I talked to women who found 
that power at Ardella's house.

270
00:15:59,333 --> 00:16:02,733
They blessed me with 
their stories of courage and

271
00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,533
despair and starting over.

272
00:16:06,366 --> 00:16:08,800
When I first 
went in the system,

273
00:16:08,866 --> 00:16:12,966
it felt like a nightmare 
because it was the first

274
00:16:13,033 --> 00:16:16,966
time I was actually away 
from my kids and as a mom,

275
00:16:17,033 --> 00:16:20,400
I just could think it 
was, it was torture for me.

276
00:16:20,466 --> 00:16:22,900
I grew up in foster care 
from the age of eight all

277
00:16:22,966 --> 00:16:25,266
the way till 17 when 
I was incarcerated.

278
00:16:25,333 --> 00:16:26,433
What happened?

279
00:16:26,500 --> 00:16:30,333
I was charged with robbery 
with a serious bodily injury

280
00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:31,566
at the age of 17.

281
00:16:31,633 --> 00:16:34,833
I fought so hard to try to get 
it transferred to juvenile.

282
00:16:34,900 --> 00:16:37,866
But what stopped 
me is they asked,

283
00:16:37,933 --> 00:16:39,666
they actually reached 
out to the foster care,

284
00:16:39,733 --> 00:16:42,000
cause I was still to 
consider a foster child and

285
00:16:42,066 --> 00:16:44,733
they said, hey, listen, 
we're willing to turn her

286
00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,466
over to y'all and release 
her if you are able to,

287
00:16:47,533 --> 00:16:50,733
you know, take 
responsibility for her like

288
00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,033
you know, and they were like, 
nope, you can keep her.

289
00:16:53,100 --> 00:16:54,766
I can only tell 
you my story.

290
00:16:54,833 --> 00:16:55,666
And what's your story?

291
00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,766
My story is 
I've been abused,

292
00:16:59,833 --> 00:17:07,533
I've been raped, I've been 
and I've been the whole lot,

293
00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:09,066
I've been the whole lot of 
trauma but the thing is,

294
00:17:09,133 --> 00:17:10,800
I'm still here. 
You know what I mean?

295
00:17:10,866 --> 00:17:12,866
I have many little skills 
or talents like I've

296
00:17:12,933 --> 00:17:18,100
I figured it out. 
I did hair, I did eyebrows.

297
00:17:19,133 --> 00:17:21,833
I I steal, I 
stole food from,

298
00:17:21,900 --> 00:17:23,700
from prison, I 
worked in their kitchen.

299
00:17:23,766 --> 00:17:26,066
You know, in there that's 
another way to get money.

300
00:17:26,133 --> 00:17:29,200
I think the prison 
system is just horrible,

301
00:17:29,266 --> 00:17:30,833
and especially for women.

302
00:17:30,900 --> 00:17:32,566
And how's it 
different for women?

303
00:17:32,633 --> 00:17:42,333
It's different for women because 
we really don't have a voice.

304
00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:46,066
Men have more of a stronger 
voice to get things done.

305
00:17:46,133 --> 00:17:48,133
Women, we don't 
have a voice.

306
00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,966
I would like to say 
that we, us as women,

307
00:17:52,033 --> 00:17:53,666
we need more unity.

308
00:17:53,733 --> 00:17:55,733
Denise, you are 
incarcerated.

309
00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,000
You're coming home soon, what's 
going through your mind?

310
00:17:59,066 --> 00:18:03,433
Anxiety and I say anxiety 
for me it was bad because

311
00:18:03,500 --> 00:18:06,533
that means okay now 
I'm back to business,

312
00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:08,900
back to responsibilities, 
how I'm going to get money.

313
00:18:08,966 --> 00:18:12,300
I know parole got a list 
of things for me to do,

314
00:18:12,366 --> 00:18:14,233
how I'm going to do it?

315
00:18:14,300 --> 00:18:15,900
And what was it like 
when you finally showed up?

316
00:18:15,966 --> 00:18:18,566
Like I said, it was, 
I'm heartfelt man,

317
00:18:18,633 --> 00:18:23,300
you know, like to see this 
atmosphere of just a house,

318
00:18:23,366 --> 00:18:26,500
a very nice, 
elegant lady she was,

319
00:18:26,566 --> 00:18:28,266
Tonie was very 
beautiful to me.

320
00:18:28,333 --> 00:18:30,766
Since coming here, I learned 
to live alone and be alone

321
00:18:30,833 --> 00:18:33,766
and not be peeking out the 
door or the window

322
00:18:33,833 --> 00:18:35,800
and just not worry. 
I was just content.

323
00:18:35,866 --> 00:18:38,233
Without Ardella's house, 
I wouldn't have became

324
00:18:38,300 --> 00:18:40,866
somewhat stable to 
where I'm at today,

325
00:18:40,933 --> 00:18:43,233
and stability is such 
an important part

326
00:18:43,300 --> 00:18:44,333
of my life right now.

327
00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:48,600
Nikida, what was it like 
having a mom who was away

328
00:18:48,666 --> 00:18:50,766
a lot of the time that 
you were growing up?

329
00:18:52,066 --> 00:18:56,266
It was hard because a lot 
of times she wasn't like,

330
00:18:56,333 --> 00:19:00,866
wouldn't be there for like 
important events in my life.

331
00:19:00,933 --> 00:19:04,133
But you were able to stay 
in touch with your mom?

332
00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:06,700
Yes, because she still 
called home every day and

333
00:19:06,766 --> 00:19:08,600
she still would say things 
like did you do your homework?

334
00:19:08,666 --> 00:19:10,233
And like, that would 
make me feel good,

335
00:19:10,300 --> 00:19:12,033
cause like she still 
was checking on me,

336
00:19:12,100 --> 00:19:15,133
ask me how my day was, and 
then she would tell me about

337
00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:17,866
different songs 
that she learned,

338
00:19:17,933 --> 00:19:19,900
gospel songs, she 
would recite ...

339
00:19:19,966 --> 00:19:21,366
You remember 
one of the songs.

340
00:19:21,433 --> 00:19:23,466
It was one I remember ...

341
00:19:23,533 --> 00:19:24,300
[singing]

342
00:19:24,366 --> 00:19:25,400
I said I 
wasn't going to tell nobody,

343
00:19:25,466 --> 00:19:27,900
but I can't 
keep it to myself.

344
00:19:27,966 --> 00:19:30,000
Oh, I can't 
keep it to myself,

345
00:19:30,066 --> 00:19:32,500
but the Lord 
has done for me.

346
00:19:32,566 --> 00:19:34,466
She would go dum du dum.

347
00:19:34,533 --> 00:19:37,466
And what was it like 
when you were released?

348
00:19:37,533 --> 00:19:40,466
I got arrested as a child, 
so I didn't know how to do

349
00:19:40,533 --> 00:19:43,633
certain things and I didn't 
have to worry about as much

350
00:19:43,700 --> 00:19:45,933
as I had to worry about as an 
adult, so there were times ...

351
00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:47,466
What did you know how to do?

352
00:19:47,533 --> 00:19:50,866
Really, I just learned, knew 
how to party and just run

353
00:19:50,933 --> 00:19:53,966
away from home and still 
have somebody to bounce back

354
00:19:54,033 --> 00:19:56,033
on like an adult 
to take care of me.

355
00:19:56,100 --> 00:19:57,800
And what was it 
like being here?

356
00:19:59,300 --> 00:20:01,633
Challenging, you 
know, because I'm still,

357
00:20:01,700 --> 00:20:03,100
I'm still young. 
I wanted to do this.

358
00:20:03,166 --> 00:20:05,566
I'm not going to lie, I 
think it was like my first

359
00:20:05,633 --> 00:20:07,533
night I actually try 
to sneak out the house.

360
00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:08,400
Really?

361
00:20:08,466 --> 00:20:09,600
I didn't know that 
they were cameras.

362
00:20:09,666 --> 00:20:11,200
You write poetry. 
Yes.

363
00:20:11,266 --> 00:20:13,033
You perform poetry. 
Yes.

364
00:20:13,100 --> 00:20:15,633
Can you give us 
a quick poem?

365
00:20:15,700 --> 00:20:18,900
So this poem is 
titled Growing Up.

366
00:20:19,866 --> 00:20:22,966
Ever think about 
past relations or past

367
00:20:23,033 --> 00:20:25,866
communications, or 
past justifications that

368
00:20:25,933 --> 00:20:28,100
constantly have you 
meditating on them

369
00:20:28,166 --> 00:20:31,000
unforgettable wasted past 
date emotions of the mind.

370
00:20:31,066 --> 00:20:33,100
I feel like, I have a good 
support system between my

371
00:20:33,166 --> 00:20:35,333
grandma, who I 
stay now with,

372
00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,233
and Ms. Tonie, and everybody 
I feel like I have,

373
00:20:38,300 --> 00:20:39,900
you know, that's the system.

374
00:20:39,966 --> 00:20:42,066
So if I ever be 
like, hey, I need help,

375
00:20:42,133 --> 00:20:43,766
I don't know what 
I'm doing or you know,

376
00:20:43,833 --> 00:20:46,366
whatever they would be there 
for in a heartbeat for me.

377
00:20:46,433 --> 00:20:48,733
And I'm very 
appreciative of that.

378
00:20:49,266 --> 00:20:50,600
I I love Ms. Tonie.

379
00:20:50,666 --> 00:20:53,500
I to me, she's like 
my fairy godmother,

380
00:20:53,566 --> 00:20:56,966
like she's my one support 
system out here, like I ...

381
00:20:57,033 --> 00:20:58,233
But I want to ask 
you along those lines,

382
00:20:58,300 --> 00:21:01,333
I want to ask you 
about what does this mean.

383
00:21:01,900 --> 00:21:02,766
This.

384
00:21:02,833 --> 00:21:06,500
I gave that to Ms. 
Tonie on Mother's Day,

385
00:21:06,566 --> 00:21:09,533
and I remember telling her, 
Ms. Tonie, you got kids.

386
00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:11,866
She said no, she 
don't have no kids.

387
00:21:11,933 --> 00:21:13,800
And I was like, 
well, consider me a kid,

388
00:21:13,866 --> 00:21:15,600
consider me, you 
know, an adopted kid,

389
00:21:15,666 --> 00:21:19,333
because I see how much 
you've done for me and I and

390
00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,766
how much she's done for so 
many women that I know that

391
00:21:22,833 --> 00:21:24,666
she has such a 
special place in my heart.

392
00:21:24,733 --> 00:21:26,566
What's, what's your, what 
kind of work do you do?

393
00:21:26,633 --> 00:21:28,766
I am a participant advocate.

394
00:21:28,833 --> 00:21:33,333
I work with homeless women and 
I actually have a desk job.

395
00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,733
You know, I serve the meals and 
I just interact with the women.

396
00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,866
I help them with resources, I 
help them out in any way I can.

397
00:21:39,933 --> 00:21:41,566
I share my 
story, my experience,

398
00:21:41,633 --> 00:21:45,200
strength and hope 
with them and I love it.

399
00:21:45,266 --> 00:21:46,566
I think this 
that's like my purpose.

400
00:21:46,633 --> 00:21:49,900
It's not just a job where 
I'm employed at I'm able to

401
00:21:49,966 --> 00:21:52,833
touch lives and I look 
forward to going to work.

402
00:21:52,900 --> 00:21:54,833
So when you see 
your mom now,

403
00:21:54,900 --> 00:21:55,933
what do you think?

404
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,666
I think that she earned 
to be where she at now,

405
00:21:59,733 --> 00:22:01,566
but she going 
to get further.

406
00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:06,233
When you hear your son 
say that what do you think?

407
00:22:06,300 --> 00:22:10,100
It feels good and 
I know he's right.

408
00:22:10,166 --> 00:22:14,066
Both of you are strong 
women who get things done,

409
00:22:14,133 --> 00:22:17,133
so it wasn't enough to 
impact the lives of the

410
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:21,100
hundreds of women you each 
have impacted but you have

411
00:22:21,166 --> 00:22:22,800
to make it a network.

412
00:22:22,866 --> 00:22:25,166
Tell us about 
that SAFE network.

413
00:22:25,233 --> 00:22:26,333
What's SAFE?

414
00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:32,733
SAFE is Sisterhood Alliance 
for Freedom and Equality.

415
00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:39,066
And it's a network of women 
around the world who are

416
00:22:39,133 --> 00:22:43,933
ushering women back from 
incarceration into the

417
00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:47,666
community safely 
and effectively.

418
00:22:47,733 --> 00:22:52,133
It's a 
sisterhood of leaders,

419
00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:56,966
change makers, 
formerly incarcerated women,

420
00:22:58,666 --> 00:23:07,133
who I I see that just needed 
an investment and a hand up

421
00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:09,533
and their lives took off.

422
00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:14,366
So we are, you can 
call us freedom fighters,

423
00:23:14,433 --> 00:23:15,900
we are freedom fighters.

424
00:23:16,633 --> 00:23:19,900
So this takes a whole 
bunch of different skills.

425
00:23:19,966 --> 00:23:23,633
Fundraising, people 
managing, grant writing.

426
00:23:23,700 --> 00:23:26,433
Where did you learn this? 
From Ms. Burton.

427
00:23:27,233 --> 00:23:29,233
Ms. Burton, where 
did you learn this?

428
00:23:29,300 --> 00:23:36,233
I've I started A New Way Of 
Life in 1998 and I've picked

429
00:23:36,300 --> 00:23:40,566
up a lot of skills in 
that time and you know,

430
00:23:40,633 --> 00:23:42,766
I'm always just a 
phone call away.

431
00:23:42,833 --> 00:23:46,833
And you know, I can talk 
people off of ledges and

432
00:23:46,900 --> 00:23:52,233
through anger and help them 
develop grants and come in

433
00:23:52,300 --> 00:23:55,366
and talk to their 
legislature and do different

434
00:23:55,433 --> 00:23:59,233
things because 
it's important.

435
00:23:59,866 --> 00:24:01,433
What we're 
developing here, Paul,

436
00:24:02,466 --> 00:24:06,400
is a movement a 
freedom movement.

437
00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,933
I wonder what Harriet 
would be saying right now.

438
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:11,633
Harriet Tubman. 
Harriet Tubman.

439
00:24:11,700 --> 00:24:14,466
I wonder what Harriet Tubman 
would be saying right now.

440
00:24:14,533 --> 00:24:18,166
I think she'd be saying 
Susan Burton, well done.

441
00:24:19,166 --> 00:24:20,633
I think so also.

442
00:24:21,500 --> 00:24:25,666
When the cell door closes 
behind you for what you hope

443
00:24:25,733 --> 00:24:28,200
and pray will be 
the last time,

444
00:24:28,266 --> 00:24:33,300
the next door you walk through 
can make all the difference.

445
00:24:33,366 --> 00:24:37,500
A place like Ardella's house 
and the compassionate work

446
00:24:37,566 --> 00:24:41,733
of advocates like Susan 
Burton and Tonie Willis can

447
00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:44,333
open a whole different door.

448
00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:49,133
A door to safety, 
security, stability,

449
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,666
and most of all, hope.

450
00:24:51,733 --> 00:24:56,633
It's up to all of us to 
hold those doors open.

451
00:24:56,700 --> 00:25:06,700
[music]

452
00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,066
Returning Citizens 
is made possible by

453
00:25:39,133 --> 00:25:49,100
[music]

454
00:25:54,066 --> 00:26:04,033
[music]

455
00:26:09,833 --> 00:26:14,566
The United Way, fostering 
the success of those who as

456
00:26:14,633 --> 00:26:17,133
they return to our 
neighborhoods remain a

457
00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:19,666
largely untapped resource.

458
00:26:19,733 --> 00:26:24,100
The formerly incarcerated 
Waterman Two Fund of the

459
00:26:24,166 --> 00:26:26,933
Philadelphia Foundation at 
the recommendation

460
00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:28,300
of David Haas.

461
00:26:28,366 --> 00:26:30,900
The Independence Foundation.