Background:

In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), which made anyone with a federal or state felony drug conviction ineligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. Fueled by “tough on crime” rhetoric and racist stereotypes about drug users and welfare recipients, the law imposed a lifetime punishment on people who had already paid their debts to society. 

Although PWORA allowed states to opt out of or modify the ban, leading most states to end full bans, most states still impose partial restrictions. Research shows these modified bans make little practical difference and continue to undermine reentry and rehabilitation. 

Today, the problem has grown more urgent. With the passage of major budget legislation in July 2025, states now face soaring SNAP costs, forcing difficult choices between raising taxes, cutting programs, or restricting benefits. In this climate, many states may reinstate bans on SNAP benefits for formerly incarcerated people to save money.  

Welfare bans are not only counterproductive but immoral. Representative Steve Cohen’s (D-TN-9) Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials (RESTORE) Act would repeal the federal SNAP ban for people with prior drug convictions, override state restrictions, and allow incarcerated individuals to apply for SNAP benefits 30 days before release. We must call on Congress to support this righteous piece of legislation, repeal all welfare bans, and pass comprehensive reentry legislation. 

Urge Congress to reintroduce and pass the Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials (RESTORE) Act, repeal all welfare bans for individuals with felony convictions, and pass comprehensive reentry legislation that guarantees every returning citizen access to food, housing, and employment. 

Jewish Values: 

As Rabbi Reuben Zellman notes in the Social Justice Torah Commentary, the story of Joseph is one in which “a man of marginalized socioeconomic status, belonging to an ethnic group long treated as suspicious, [is] condemned” and sent to prison. The similarities between the American criminal justice system and that in Genesis, however, end there. Eventually, Joseph becomes an influential advisor and dream interpreter to the Pharaoh. The story shows us what can happen when, rather than mark formerly incarcerated individuals with a scarlet letter, a criminal justice system remembers and supports every person as they work to reenter society and contribute their spark of the Divine to society.  

Embedded in this is the reciprocal nature of t’shuvah, which demands that society support those seeking redemption. This, we learn from the story of Miriam, who is punished by God with leprosy and isolation for committing lashon harah (“evil tongue,” or gossip) (Num. 12:1). The Israelites, however, do not continue wandering in the desert, leaving the Prophetesses behind. Rather, they wait for her, and only when she has returned do they keep moving (Num. 12:15-16). Miriam’s return provides us with a framework for reentry that emphasizes a moral responsibility to welcome back those who have erred with compassion and faith in their capacity for renewal. 

With these teachings, it is imperative that Reform Jews do all within their power to champion the just, compassionate, and effective reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals.  

For more information, visit the RAC's page on criminal justice or contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Daniel Block. 

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