Laws Limiting Access to SNAP Benefits for People With Felony Drug Convictions: A Policy-Mapping Study.

The article focuses on mapping and analyzing U.S. state policies regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) bans for individuals with felony drug convictions from 2004 to 2021. It documents a significant shift away from the federal lifetime ban—imposed by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996—toward states either fully opting out of the ban or implementing modified bans with varying eligibility requirements such as compliance with parole, drug treatment, and drug testing. By 2021, 26 states and the District of Columbia had fully opted out, 23 states maintained modified bans with diverse provisions, and only one state retained the lifetime ban. The study highlights the complexity and variability of these state-level policies and underscores the need for further research on their impacts on food insecurity, substance use outcomes, recidivism, and broader public health implications for individuals reentering communities after incarceration.