September 10, 2018, Alex Busansky and Gary Maynard - The Washington Post
When formerly incarcerated Americans leave prison, they face tough odds across the board. They are almost 10 times more likely than other Americans to end up homeless. Their unemployment rate, even in this booming economy, is a staggering 27 percent. And the struggle is even more difficult for people of color and women.
As Susan Burton, a formerly incarcerated woman and founder of the advocacy group A New Way of Life, puts it in her autobiography, those reentering society face a “massive wall of NO” — no to employment, no to student loans and no to housing.
Now add a “no” from lawmakers in Washington, who want to restrict food aid for many formerly incarcerated people.