Life Sentences: Denying Welfare Benefits To Women Convicted Of Drug Offenses

In 1996, the U.S. government embarked on welfare reform, dismantling a 60-year-old social welfare system. Under the welfare reform act, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) has been replaced with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a federal block grant program that imposes time limits and work requirements on welfare recipients. Section 115 of the welfare reform act, a provision of the act that has received little attention, stipulates that persons convicted of a state or federal felony offense involving the use or sale of drugs are subject to a lifetime ban on receiving cash assistance and food stamps. This provision applies only to those convicted of drug offenses. Thus, offenders released from prison after serving a sentence for murder, for example, are eligible for welfare benefits and food stamps, but not those who have a conviction for possessing or selling a small quantity of drugs.

Need help downloading a file or playing a clip? Click here.