Quoting ❥ Meℓi:" I agree. I HATE that criminal records are continuously held against people. How is ANYONE supposed to ... [snip!] ... jail is a form of rehabilitation, but I don't see how they are rehabilitating them. They are just setting them up for failure."

I seriously want to know what happened to doing the crime and doing the time. I did my time, why am I still being punished years down the road? It's so smurfing irritating and most people just don't get it because they've never been there and don't deal with it so directly.

Quoting MommyToWesley:" Seriously??     I didn't know that. That makes absolutely no sense. Like you said earlier, ... [snip!] ... said earlier, how does society expect criminals to be able to rehabilitate when you stack every possible odd against him/her?"

Yep...smurf is smurfed up.

everyone is talking about her being able to get food stamps for her children, but not for herself, but how does one go about doing that? she's going to be the one redeeming them, so how do we know that food is really going to the kids? how do we know she is not getting the food and trading it for drugs? i think that is why that law is in place.

Quoting Rabbit™:" I seriously want to know what happened to doing the crime and doing the time. I did my time, why am ... [snip!] ... so smurfing irritating and most people just don't get it because they've never been there and don't deal with it so directly."

Yea exactly. I have never been in trouble with the law but I know plenty of people who have been & they are forced to do illegal things because nobody will hire them. It is bullsmurf, how can anyone turn their lives around when they cant even get a legit job to help pay for basic necessities? smh.

Quoting MommyToWesley:" Seriously??     I didn't know that. That makes absolutely no sense. Like you said earlier, ... [snip!] ... said earlier, how does society expect criminals to be able to rehabilitate when you stack every possible odd against him/her?"

Yep. Dead serious. I was denied a job after passing the interview with the District Manager here because I have two felonies and it's been over 2 years since my last conviction. I was so pissed and felt so degraded.

Quoting MommyToWesley:" Seriously??     I didn't know that. That makes absolutely no sense. Like you said earlier, ... [snip!] ... said earlier, how does society expect criminals to be able to rehabilitate when you stack every possible odd against him/help

It's completely messed up.

Quoting Rabbit™:" Yep. Dead serious. I was denied a job after passing the interview with the District Manager here because ... [snip!] ... here because I have two felonies and it's been over 2 years since my last conviction. I was so pissed and felt so degraded."

Wow...I think they shouldn't put peoples records out there period...if you did the time for the crime you should be able to leave jail with clean hands.

Quoting MommaNoodle:" everyone is talking about her being able to get food stamps for her children, but not for herself, but ... [snip!] ... to the kids? how do we know she is not getting the food and trading it for drugs? i think that is why that law is in place."

It's easy. You apply like you would for foodstamps and indicate that you are a drug felon. How they SHOULD budget is for everyone in the family minus you. So if you have 2 kids instead of looking at a budget for 3 people, they'll budget for 2.

If she was turned down for foodstamps she MOST LIKELY didn't comply with other parts of the application process then ran to this Emily person who doesn't know how the policies are actually implemented who wrote this article that has no merit.

Quoting ❥ Meℓi:" Wow...I think they shouldn't put peoples records out there period...if you did the time for the crime you should be able to leave jail with clean hands."

I don't think it should be an automatic clean slate, but I think it should be easier to seal your record OR your record should be sealed once you've restored your civil rights. If I can vote, hold public office and serve on a jury then why should my record even matter? I did what I had to do to continue down the road to becoming a productive U.S. citizen, treat me like one!

Ah sorry. I'm very passionate about this stuff. It just seems so ass backwards how everyone says criminals need to get it together while shoving their faces in the mud  

Quoting Fatty McRunnerPants:" It's easy. You apply like you would for foodstamps and indicate that you are a drug felon. How they ... [snip!] ... ran to this Emily person who doesn't know how the policies are actually implemented who wrote this article that has no merit."

yeah, i get that they'll only give her enough money to cover food for the kids, but... how do they know that it is going to the kids? if their point is to not give former drug addicts food stamps that they can trade/sell for drugs, then what would it matter if she gets less money? it's still money she could potentially use for drugs instead.

Quoting Fatty McRunnerPants:" It's easy. You apply like you would for foodstamps and indicate that you are a drug felon. How they ... [snip!] ... ran to this Emily person who doesn't know how the policies are actually implemented who wrote this article that has no merit."

I think the procedure varies by state. I have to show my case worker my proof of treatment at rehab in order to receive anything for me and the baby.

Quoting ❥ Meℓi:" Wow...I think they shouldn't put peoples records out there period...if you did the time for the crime you should be able to leave jail with clean hands."

I completely disagree. Past behavior is the most indicative of future behavior. Especially for positions involving handling money, dealing with children, etc. why wouldn't someone's criminal record be taken into account? Would you want a sex offender being able to work in a daycare because everyone should be able to leave jail with clean hands?

Quoting MommaNoodle:" yeah, i get that they'll only give her enough money to cover food for the kids, but... how do they know ... [snip!] ... for drugs, then what would it matter if she gets less money? it's still money she could potentially use for drugs instead."

Disclaimer: I'm a caseworker for DSS. I determine and monitor eligibility for Foodstamps, Cashaid and Medicaide.

In the end: you don't. HOWEVER with the EBT card system it's easier to indicate fraud. You use the card like a debit card. Unless the person is going to the grocery store with their drug dealer it's very very easy to trace. They give the card to the drug dealer with the pin number. They have to get their card replaced by us, who track that sort of thing. Get more than 1 replacement card in any quarter? We're going to see where it's been used and when. We can see where it's being used. If it's out of the area where they would normally use their benefits a red flag is thrown up and we investigate it. If someone "Lost" their card but it had been in use that day, we're going to look into it.

Quoting Rabbit™:" I think the procedure varies by state. I have to show my case worker my proof of treatment at rehab in order to receive anything for me and the baby."

Are you still pregnant without any other children? If you've been to rehab and you've shown proof of treatment you're a "qualifying felon", meaning you're the one being aided. Federal requirements state that if you're pregnant you're still a household of one for foodstamp purposes until the baby is actually born.

Quoting MommaNoodle:" everyone is talking about her being able to get food stamps for her children, but not for herself, but ... [snip!] ... to the kids? how do we know she is not getting the food and trading it for drugs? i think that is why that law is in place."

They can't really say she isn't eating the food, it's the same as lying and saying there are less adults in the house so you don't have to add them to the case. They can't monitor who is eating, they just make sure you have enough to take care of your kids and expect you to do that. Even people with no record can trade food stamps for almost anything....