abstract: 'Bipartisan governmental representatives and the public support

  investment in health care, housing, education, and nutrition programs,

  plus resources for people leaving prison and jail (Halpin, 2018; Johnson

  \& Beletsky, 2020; USCCR, 2019). The Personal Responsibility and Work

  Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 banned people with felony drug

  convictions from receiving food stamps or Supplemental Nutrition

  Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Food insecurity, recidivism, and

  poor mental and physical health outcomes are associated with such bans.

  Several states have overturned SNAP benefit bans, yet individuals with

  criminal convictions are still denied benefits due to eligibility

  criteria modifications. COVID-19 has impaired lower-income,

  food-insecure communities, which disproportionately absorb people

  released from prison and jail. Reentry support is sorely lacking.

  Meanwhile, COVID-19 introduces immediate novel health risks, economic

  insecurity, and jail and prison population reductions and early release.

  Thirty to 50 percent of people in prisons and jails, which are COVID-19

  hotspots, have been released early (Flagg \& Neff, 2020; New York Times,

  2020; Vera, 2020). The Families First Coronavirus Response Act increases

  flexibility in providing emergency SNAP supplements and easing program

  administration during the pandemic. Meanwhile, the U.S. Commission on

  Civil Rights recommends eliminating SNAP benefit restrictions based on

  criminal convictions, which fail to prevent recidivism, promote public

  safety, or relate to underlying crimes. Policy improvements,

  administrative flexibility, and cross-sector collaboration can

  facilitate SNAP benefit access, plus safer, healthier transitioning from

  jail or prison to the community.'
affiliation: 'Golembeski, CA (Corresponding Author), Rutgers State Univ, Law \& Publ
  Adm, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA.

  Golembeski, Cynthia A., Rutgers State Univ, Law \& Publ Adm, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
  USA.

  Irfan, Ans, DrPH Coalit, Policy \& Programming, Boston, MA USA.

  Irfan, Ans, Milken Inst Sch Publ Hlth, Washington, DC USA.

  Irfan, Ans, Robert Wood Johnson Fdn, Baltimore, MD USA.

  Dong, Kimberly R., Tufts Univ, Sch Med, Dept Publ Hlth \& Community Med, Medford,
  MA USA.'
author: Golembeski, Cynthia A. and Irfan, Ans and Dong, Kimberly R.
author-email: cag348@rutgers.edu
author_list:
- family: Golembeski
  given: Cynthia A.
- family: Irfan
  given: Ans
- family: Dong
  given: Kimberly R.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1002/wmh3.378
earlyaccessdate: DEC 2020
files: []
issn: 1948-4682
journal: WORLD MEDICAL \& HEALTH POLICY
keywords: nutrition; equity; COVID; criminal justice
keywords-plus: 'PUBLIC-HEALTH; PATERNAL INCARCERATION; CRIMINAL-JUSTICE; RISK BEHAVIORS;

  DISPARITIES; ASSISTANCE; SECURITY; HIV; LANGUAGE; GENDER'
language: English
month: DEC
number: '4'
number-of-cited-references: '87'
orcid-numbers: 'Golembeski, Cynthia A/0000-0002-0749-5566

  Dong, Kimberly/0000-0001-9941-2942

  Irfan, Ans/0000-0002-4404-5812'
pages: 357-373
papis_id: 518f9ab8aaa8b57105b6faca49c5b544
ref: Golembeski2020foodinsecurity
researcherid-numbers: 'Golembeski, Cynthia A/AAI-6895-2020

  '
times-cited: '9'
title: Food Insecurity and Collateral Consequences of Punishment Amidst the COVID-19
  Pandemic
type: Article
unique-id: WOS:000594388000001
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '14'
volume: '12'
web-of-science-categories: Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health
year: '2020'