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 ban
- Racial disparities in drug war produce adverse effect on communities of color
- No evidence that the ban prevents drug abuse or welfare fraud
- Read on...
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