Yes - "Everyone deserves this help"

Mary Sanchez, writing for the Kansas City Star on May 4, 2011, highlighted the predicament former Missouri drug convicts face when trying to live outside prison walls.
Missouri is one of nine states where a person can commit murder, rape, aggravated assault, armed robbery, any number of violent crimes and, after serving time, still be allowed food stamps.

But be an ex-felony drug offender? No way. Those folks have a lifetime ban on receiving food stamps.
This item was part of the Missouri legislative session in 2009 when Missouri food assistance advocates visited Jefferson City. Legislators just couldn't do the right thing and remove this burden from people that have paid their time for the crime.

Sanchez makes a good case for allowing former felons to receive the food assistance benefit. Providing the benefit would allow these people to lead a somewhat dignified life as they find employment, housing, and other basic services. She argues that providing access to this essential Federal benefit would reduce high incarceration costs incurred by the state of Missouri by reducing relapses in criminal activity.

I agree with Sanchez by saying not "Yes," but "Hell Yes!" that "everyone deserves this help if they are willing to stay sober."

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