Should ex-offenders get food stamps?

People getting out of prison need more than a bus ticket back home.

They also need a support system to get their lives on track.

These days, many lawmakers and social service agencies seem to recognize that fact, and they’re taking steps to help ex-offenders meet their basic needs.

One example is legislation currently being considered in the Georgia Assembly. It would remove the state’s lifetime ban on felony drug offenders getting food stamps once released. The legislation was recommended by Gov. Nathan Deal’s Council on Criminal Justice Reform, and would address a provision enacted by Congress in 1996 as part of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.

States can opt out of the ban, or enact a less severe version. But Georgia remains one of only three states that have maintained the punitive prohibition, causing the state to miss out on about $10.4 million a year in federal benefits.

“After a careful review of the issue, the Council recommends that Georgia remove the lifetime ban on food stamps for felony drug offenders in its entirety,” the group wrote in a report. “Doing so will not only bring millions of dollars of federal revenue to the state, but also remove the barrier to successful reentry, enabling Georgians who have completed their sentences to more easily move past their offense, become law-abiding citizens and provide for their families.”

In Columbus, Waleisah Wilson is director of NewLife-Second Chance Outreach Inc., a Columbus-based non-profit agency that helps felons make a smoother transition into society. On Friday, the agency will hold a job fair for ex-cons from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Columbus Public Library on Macon Road.

In addition to employment opportunities, the fair will include resources to help ex-convicts deal with mental health, housing, substance abuse, transportation, education and other issues. Wilson says ex-offenders who have to worry about food, shelter and other necessities are more likely to be repeat offenders. So her agency helps them meet their basic needs.

“Although employment is significant in reducing an individual’s chances of re-offending, there are so many other things that are needed to be successful in reentry,” she said. “Therefore, we want to make it a little easier for those who have recently been released or those who have been out for years to have access to everything they need... all in one room, in one stop.”

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Should ex-offenders get food stamps?."