Date: January 27, 2026
To: Representative Don Mayhew and the Members of the House Corrections and Public Institutions Committee
From: Christine Woody, Food Security Policy Manager, Empower Missouri
RE: Support for HB 2751
My name is Christine Woody and I am the Food Security Policy Manager at Empower Missouri. Empower Missouri is a statewide non-profit organization who has spent 125 years fighting poverty in Missouri. Today, I am here in support of HB 2751, which would allow Missouri to opt out of the federal lifetime ban on SNAP benefits for individuals with drug-related felony convictions.
This issue is about public safety, family stability, and second chances.
Under a federal policy created nearly 30 years ago, people with certain drug felony convictions can be permanently denied access to SNAP – even after they have completed their sentence, probation, treatment, and every requirement the court imposed. Long after they have paid their debt to society, they can still be denied the most basic assistance to put food on the table.
That policy does not make communities safer. In fact, it does the opposite.
When someone returns home after incarceration, they face enormous barriers: finding work, securing housing, reconnecting with family, and accessing healthcare. During that fragile transition period, food insecurity makes everything harder. It is difficult to search for jobs, attend treatment, or comply with supervision requirements when you are hungry.
SNAP is not cash. It is not a luxury. It is a nutrition program designed to prevent hunger. Denying food assistance does not undo a past crime, it simply increases instability at the exact moment we should be supporting successful reentry.
This policy also harms families and children. When a parent is excluded from SNAP, the household benefit amount is reduced, even though that person still needs to eat. Children in these households experience higher food insecurity because of a conviction that may have happened years earlier.
We often talk about personal responsibility. People with felony convictions are already held accountable through incarceration, fines, supervision, and long-term consequences that affect employment and housing. A lifetime food ban becomes an additional punishment that continues indefinitely — one that extends to their families.
Most states, including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Louisiana have already recognized this and have opted out of this ban. They have done so because research and experience show that stable access to food reduces stress, improves health, and supports successful reintegration, which in turn reduces recidivism. When people can meet basic needs, they are more likely to find work, comply with the law, and build stable lives.
Opting out does not excuse criminal behavior. It acknowledges that once a sentence is served, our policies should support people in becoming productive, law-abiding members of the community.
If our goal is safer neighborhoods, stronger families, and lower long-term public costs, then ensuring people do not go hungry when they are trying to rebuild their lives is a practical and evidence-based step.
In addition to this necessary change ending the SNAP ban, HB 2751 would expand the ability for individuals committed to the Department of Corrections to earn good time and earned time credit. This expansion would have a positive impact on incarcerated individuals, their loved ones, the environment within correctional facilities, and ultimately Missouri communities. The availability of such credits based on the merits of a person’s behavior can make the prison environment safer for other incarcerated individuals and correctional officers. By incentivizing good behavior, rather than punishing bad behavior, good time credits help incarcerated individuals develop positive habits that lead to reduced recidivism outcomes after their release. The earned time programs named in HB 2751 incorporate educational opportunities, vocational training, and rehabilitation, all critical elements in preparing individuals for reentry and improving community safety for all.
In order to ensure that HB 2751 and other legislation has the intended impact of promoting program participation for incarcerated individuals (thereby reducing recidivism), the legislature may also consider increased resources for rehabilitative and educational programs in the Department of Corrections. We trust the legislature will consider this as part of the appropriations process.
Thank you for your time and consideration. For these reasons, I respectfully urge you to pass HB 2751 out of this committee and allow Missouri to fully opt out of the lifetime SNAP ban while supporting good time and earned time credits for incarcerated Missourians.
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