Alabama Drug Felons Now Eligible For Food Stamps

Thousands of Alabama residents have been denied federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits because of felony drug convictions,the result according to al.com of a 1996 federal law reforming the welfare system. The law placed a lifetime ban on drug felons receiving certain forms of federal assistance. Other convicted felons were able to keep their benefits.

Alabama will become one of the last states to override the ban and allow felony drug offenders to receive food stamps and temporary cash payments with the passage of a comprehensive prison reform bill during the 2015 legislative session.

A study showed as many as 86 percent of recipients were women and woman are also about twice as likely as men to receive food stamp benefits at some point in their lives.