I knew many women in prison during my nearly two decades of spinning in and out of incarceration. After my sixth release, someone stepped up to help me and I could access recovery resources — services I had never been offered or even known existed.

As I began to heal, I realized that I had never really belonged in prison. I had used drugs and alcohol to block unrelenting pain; to patch gaping holes in my heart punctured through unresolved traumas from years of sexual abuse and the death of my son.

Remembering many of the women I left behind, I realized that, like me, they didn’t belong there. My story was their story; it didn’t serve any reasonable purpose to keep them locked up and in chains.

When most people think of retirement, it’s often paired with ideals of golden years, tranquility and peace. However, many women are spending their elder years incarcerated. The good news? Many are coming home.

Read the full article about women leaving prison and finding purpose by Susan Burton at Forbes.