New Hour member and EMERGE graduate Tameeka shares, "Getting a job and having to worry that my past conviction will always be held against me is a constant fear."

Our mothers and women continue to suffer longstanding consequences as a result of a conviction. More than 1 in 7 NY's suffer with the stigma of a conviction long after they have served their time.

This means women are less likely to successfully provide for their children and become financially stable. Lack of access to employment, education, housing access and employment discrimination continue to hurt women and mothers long after they've served their sentence. Here's how we fix this problem: Clean Slate.

With New York's legislative session drawing near its end, we must make it clear: Clean Slate Can't Wait. The Clean Slate Act will seal many of the criminal records (except for law enforcement, the courts and some agencies) of those who have served their time and re-entered society. This act is necessary to allow women in reentry a true chance to rebuild their lives.