On their release from prison or jail, inmates can return to their communities with transitional assistance to keep them fed while they look for work — or they can return desperate and hungry. Which circumstance is more likely to keep the neighborhood safe?
In its wisdom, or what passed for it at the time, Congress in 1996 banned anyone convicted of a drug-related offense from ever getting food stamps. People convicted of rape, murder or armed robbery were eligible for food aid, but not former drug offenders. It was the height of the war on drugs, and lawmakers were bent on punishing addicts and dealers.
The foolishness of this lifetime prohibition quickly became apparent. Federal administrators allowed states to alter it or opt out altogether, and most quickly did so. It took California until 2004 to partially end the ban on benefits for drug offenders through CalFresh — the local program for getting federal food aid to the needy — but it was kept intact for any offender whose conviction went beyond simple possession. Because addicts often engage in low-level dealing to pay for their habits, many drug offenders here continue to return to the streets after doing their jail or prison time, with no legal way to feed themselves or their families. They remain desperate and hungry. Local grocery stores remain unpaid. Neighbors remain uneasy.