Susan Burton, founder of South Los Angeles-based nonprofit A New Way of Life, said she always liked to think of herself as one of the girls. As a former drug addict who cycled in and out of prison for more than 15 years, Burton has much in common with the women served by A New Way of Life, which supports eight safe houses in South L.A. and Long Beach for formerly incarcerated women.

An autobiographical book project caused Burton to realize that her successful journey out of the punishing cycle of substance abuse and imprisonment meant she was no longer a member of the club. She had become Ms. Burton.

That reality informed the title of the 2017 book “Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women,” by Burton and Cari Lynn.

“My publisher said: ‘Do you hear how they call you Ms. Burton, with such respect?’” Burton said during a Business Journal visit to the nonprofit’s offices. “They let me know I’m not one of the girls. I’m Ms. Burton.”

“So I show up as Ms. Burton — casual but neat, covered and respectful,” said Burton, whose warm, friendly eyes peeked out through a pair of Harry Potter-round Anne Klein spectacles. “I just want to stay regular. When we go out, I dress up. When we’re just around, I’m casual.”

Burton’s life now includes speaking engagements, awards ceremonies and fundraising events such as A Way of Life’s Dec. 8 gala at L.A. Grand Hotel Downtown. The nonprofit’s annual operating budget is $3 million.

She also lent her insider’s expertise to a studio project with L.A. architect Frank Gehry and students from Southern California Institute of Architecture and Yale University studying humane prison design.

Shared experience with inmates also informed the distribution of “Becoming Ms. Burton.” A special “prison edition” of 11,000 copies was published in paperback. Hard-cover books are not generally allowed in prisons because the covers as well as the books could be used to hide objects.

Along with sharing a history of imprisonment with the women the organization helps, Burton said founding A Way of Life also represented a way to turn sorrow into healing after her 5-year-old son Marque was killed when he was struck by a car driven by an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer. “I spend the love for my son every day in my work,” she said.

Burton added that the women’s halfway homes are designed to be comfortable and clean and, above all, offer safety.

She told the story of one difficult resident who responded when offered the right kind of support. “(I told her) we’ve been through much of what you’ve been through, and we found a way out, and we’d like to show you the way out, too. But that can only happen if you let us. We can’t show you the way out with you kicking and screaming and not being willing to participate. I never had another problem out of her.”