LOS ANGELES, CA — A new Sisterhood Alliance for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) Home—called Turning Point—for formerly incarcerated women has opened in Los Angeles County, housing up to four women after they return to LA after serving their sentences.
Turning Point executive director Michelle Perkins, in a statement, said, “When women leave prison and return to their communities, they are more vulnerable than ever. This new home aims to bridge the gap for women leaving prison by equipping them with the resources, tools, and support to help them transition back into society.”
Turning Point’s stated goals include working toward ensuring formerly incarcerated people have resources and support to reenter society and have the tools they need to thrive by providing a safe place where people have time to heal, learn and prepare for their next moves while preventing recidivism.
Turning Point SAFE Home is a member of A New Way of Life’s SAFE Housing Network, apart of 30+ international organizations that offer reentry services to formerly incarcerated women, according to this week’s statement.
The SAFE Housing Network claims it works toward decarcerating the US, empowering people by giving them a place to heal and fight against mass incarceration.
According to the statement, since the first homes opened in 2019, SAFE housing and Turning Point have housed more than 700 formerly incarcerated people, while also providing other reentry services to almost 12,000 individuals since their opening.
Susan Burton, founder of A New Way of Life, CNN Hero, and a 2023 NBC news inspiring America honoree, said, “Empowering women to reintegrate into their communities is pivotal for breaking the cycle of recidivism. Michelle Perkins has turned this organization into an invaluable resource for our community providing stability and support for women transitioning into life outside of prison, ensuring that they have a roadmap for success.
“I’m proud to see that Turning Point has grown into a renowned institution that has supported women throughout LA County. They have shown that when we support and uplift our most vulnerable groups, it in turn makes our greater community better as a whole.”
The New Way of Life reentry housing model is used and relied on by the SAFE housing network, citing lack of housing as one primary contributor to high rates of recidivism, which, the groups notes, sit at 65 percent. But residents of A New Way Of Life facility have just a six percent recidivism rate.
“Every year, almost 2.5 million women are released from jails and prisons facing countless barriers to reentry. Today, as we celebrate the work of Turning Point SAFE Home, we know we have so much more to do here in California and across the country to provide the crucial resources and services necessary to help these women rebuild their lives, contribute to our communities, and return to their families for good,” according the announcement of the LA home.
