The Sentencing Project News – New Publication: A Lifetime of Punishment: The Impact of the Federal Drug Ban on Welfare Benefits

See on Scoop.it – Drugs, Society, Human Rights & Justice
A new report by The Sentencing Project finds that the nation’s “war on drugs” posture of recent decades may have a devastating impact on the health and safety of women and children of color and their communities. The report, A Lifetime of Punishment: The Impact of the Federal Drug Ban on Welfare Benefits, concludes that a provision of the 1996 welfare reform legislation passed by Congress subjects an estimated 180,000 women in the 12 most impacted states to a lifetime ban on welfare benefits. Highlights from the report:12 states impose lifetime ban on welfare and food stamp benefits for all drug offenders; 25 others impose partial banRacial disparities in drug war produce adverse effect on communities of colorNo evidence that the ban prevents drug abuse or welfare fraud
See on www.sentencingproject.org