--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S…" description: "\"The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery other than in prisons - but it was a lie that you regained your freedom once you le..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/susan-burton-16320_constitution_the-thirteenth-amendment-to-the-u-s-cons_3016985.jpg" --- # The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution… ![“The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery other than in prisons - but it was a lie that you regained your freedom once you left the prison gates.” quote by Susan Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/susan-burton-16320_constitution_the-thirteenth-amendment-to-the-u-s-cons_3016985.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/susan-burton-16320_constitution_the-thirteenth-amendment-to-the-u-s-cons_3016985.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d7/susan-burton-16320_constitution_the-thirteenth-amendment-to-the-u-s-cons_3016985.jpg) > “The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery other than in prisons - but it was a lie that you regained your freedom once you left the prison gates.” [Susan Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-burton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Abolition of slavery in prisons is a myth; true freedom remains constrained by the system. **In simple terms:** Prison freedom is illusory. Key Takeaway Advocate for systemic prison reform. Themes justice freedom systemic oppression Mood somber motivational Type activist philosophical When to use this quote - reentry programs - policy advocacy - social justice Key Concepts mass incarceration civil rights Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect rehabilitation? - What reforms could truly free inmates? A Different Perspective Complex legal definitions of slavery complicate the claim. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abolished Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolished-slavery-1722341/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Constitution Abolished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution-abolished-4864714/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Regained Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regained-freedom-4864713/) [Slavery Prisons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery-prisons-4864715/) [Thirteenth amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirteenth-amendment-190365/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [“Convicts had no meaningful legal rights at this time and no effective redress. 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Seward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-seward/) > [“Americans have found it particularly difficult to come to terms with our “slave origins,” perhaps because the national history of the United States makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-wright/americans-have-found-it-particularly-difficult-to-come-to-terms-with/) [Gavin Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-wright/) > [“Mauritania officially abolished slavery in 1980, though its own government admitted that the practice continued nevertheless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/mauritania-officially-abolished-slavery-in-1980-though-its-own/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [All these cries of having "abolished slavery," of having "saved the country," of having "preserved the union," of establishing a "government of consent," and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/all-these-cries-of-having-abolished-slavery-of-having-saved-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) ## More by Susan Burton > [Telling your story is transformative. 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