Give drug felons food stamps, many states now say

Associated Press ^ | Apr 18, 2016 11:55 AM EDT | Grant Schulte and Scott McFetridge

[Olog-hai]

Nebraska is desperate to stop the runaway growth of its prison population, but doing so depends a lot on people like Ronald Tillman. Tillman, 54, a paroled drug dealer who suffers from bipolar disease and a debilitating back injury, has lived since his 2013 release solely on his monthly $733 disability check. When his food runs short, he faces a choice that has costly implications for the state — if he gets caught.

“Sometimes when you need food, you have to steal it,” said Tillman, a Navy veteran. “I’ve shoplifted a couple of times, just to eat that night and maybe the next morning.”

Nebraska is among a dwindling number of states that still enforce a lifetime ban on drug offenders receiving food stamps. If Tillman had been convicted of robbery, burglary or another crime, he could be eligible for the federal assistance. Now, Nebraska is wrestling with whether it can still afford the restrictive policy even though many residents take a dim view of giving public benefits to drug felons.

Eager to help more drug law convicts stay on the streets without committing crimes — those offenders can account for more than a quarter of those released — Alabama, Texas and a number of other states have decided in recent years to end or scale back the federal food stamp ban, which each state has the option to do. …

[JudgemAll]

To requote Putin, they will chase you all the way to your bathrooms and kill you. I happened to eat a snack at a smoke spot for Walmart workers, and they were so conditioned that they are bad that they moved away so I would not get smoked in. Seriously, everywhere a smoker goes, even his designated spot, he is now accomodating and submissive to others. It is like they are made easy to harass by definition because “they are bad”.

They do now the same thing with the gay movement and bathrooms, making people guilty for being heterosexual

[I want the USA back]

Take drugs, get free money. Obey the law all your ^*}^%## life, get $hit. I’m just about fed up with the way things are going in this county.

[NorthstarMom]

Those who abuse the system truly make it harder for those trying to make it. My adopted brother is on SSI for mental disability. The rules are very strict. You would have to be brilliant to cheat that program and most who are on it probably have very low IQs. They also don’t have a support system-no parents to call for advice or go to for dinner when money is tight. In fact, many have parents who take advantage of them. They are on their own with few life skills.

It’s really sad and life is hard when you just aren’t smart enough to navigate it wisely. If charity were left to churches which can provide support, accountability and training along with food all would be better off.

Bless you for helping.

[BraveMan]

The shame of relying on public assistance has long since passed. It has become a perfectly acceptable lifestyle.

[terycarl]

poppycock...Anyone can find something to do to earn a few bucks, mow lawns, wash cars, collect aluminum, baby sit, pick vegetables and fruit, work for local park departments, shovel snow in season, vacuum and otherwise clean your local church after services...we have a local guy here, with a beater pickup truck who picks up from alleys etc, anything that looks to have a value....hauls it to local recyclers and gets what he can for it.