currently behind bars, incarceration rates are rising twice as fast as men’s. Despite this dramatic increase, the reentry needs of formerly incarcerated women remain largely unaddressed. What support exists to help them rebuild their lives?Convictions act as a scarlet letter, especially for women. Over 27 percent of formerly convicted people in the U.S. are unemployed, according to a report—a rate higher than during the peak of the Great Depression.
The broader impact is staggering. Black Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population but a whoppingof the prison population, facing not only overrepresentation behind bars but also the enduring stigma and practical consequences of a felony record. . This financial burden is insurmountable for many, particularly for those whose initial crime was driven by economic hardship., articulated this struggle. “If your crime was being poor like mine, you’re never gonna be able to afford an attorney to get your record cleared,” she toldArrested for a bounced check in 2004 as a newly single mother, her conviction led to significant barriers to reentering society, despite paying the check back. “My true sentence had just begun,” she said.
Clean slate laws could dramatically change the lives of women with criminal records. They provide a fresh start, opening doors to employment, housing and education. Research from thealso found that people who have their records expunged experience a 25 percent increase in wages within two years.
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