Highlights from a documentary -screening and panel event – North Carolina Justice Center

We have organized a documentary film -screening

On March 27, 2025, the North Carolina Justice Center and the Operation Gateway organized a documentary film and panel discussion about crime -drug ban. The event brought together local supporters, service providers and affected parishioners to experience and discuss the realities with which tens of thousands of residents of North Carolina are disqualified due to a conviction of drugs from the criminal offense of SNAP advantages.

The documentary is a short video in which the experiences of six people who are exposed to a lifelong ban on SNAP advantages due to a conviction in the crime of crimes.

The panel discussion followed by the screening provided information about local and state efforts to overcome the tribes of families that were created by harmful politics. During the panel, Maria Rodriguez, one of the documentary film participants, spoke about what it meant to be excluded from Snap for the rest of her life and why she decided to participate in the documentary. Jason Turnbull, who represented the Manna Foodbank outside of Asheville, NC, reminded the present that guidelines such as the crime -Snap ban create a significant burden on community resources: “For every rejected SNAP application, this is another family in the food line.” The other discussion participants became Ed Treat, lawyer at Pisgah Legal Services; Brent Bailey, coordinator of the local Reentry Council of the Buncombe County; and Laura Webb, Project Director for Fair Chance Criminal Justice at the NC Justice Center.

Why we organized the event

We organized the event to draw attention to the crime drug -ban and the need to change the state law in order to fully develop the prohibition.

The supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as snap or food brands) was developed to remedy the uncertainty of food and poor nutrition for families in poverty. The program offers the recipients a scholarship to buy food items, including fresh products and seeds, from certain retailers.

1996, promoted by the war against drugs and the criminalization of communities that are black, indigenous and colored people; The Federal Government passed a law to prohibit people with a conviction of crimes in order to maintain food brands. The federal law enables the states to ward off the ban that many states have. North Carolina is part of a minority of states that still refuses to access food brands due to a conviction for drug diseases.

The NC Law disqualifies people with a conviction of class H or the class -i drug judgment of food brands for six months after they have been convicted or released from prison. In order to regain authorization, you must comply with certain requirements, including drug treatment. People with the conviction of the AG -A crime of class A of NC or another state are a lifelong ban to achieve advantages.

Now there is time for North Carolina to end his crime drug -snap. This change in the law will be hardly or no costs for the state and offer significant advantages, including reduced relapse, better economy, more people, improved family and children's investments, lower poverty and nutritional uncertainty rates and reduced overdose rates.

What is necessary to lift the crime drug -ban

In order for people with convicts of crimes to be able to access drugs, North Carolina laws must support and adopt a law on North Carolina from the Federal Snap ban. There are currently three bills that, if they are adopted, end the lifespan and the six-month disqualifications when accessing Snap advantages.

• Senate Bill 564 Public Security through Food Access Act: According to this BI Partisan law, a person is no longer excluded from SNAP or TANF support due to a conviction in connection with drugs and are immediately entitled to food and cash support because they have completed the required drug treatment program.

• House Bill 682 Public Security through Food Access Act: According to this BI parti calculation, a person is no longer excluded from SNAP or TANF support due to a conviction in connection with drugs and is immediately entitled to food and cash support because they have completed the required drug treatment program.

• House Bill 733 Every Eats Act: According to this bill, a person is no longer excluded from SNAP or TANF support due to a conviction in connection with drugs and is immediately entitled to food and cash support

How to support the campaign to finish the crime -Snap ban

• Fill out this form to JAbout the campaign -Fill out this registration form to stay up to date via the campaign or to get more involved.

• Screening the documentary in your community screening of the documentary in your community helps to increase awareness of the need to end this guideline in North Carolina. Use the screening manual to find instructions on the screening of the film.

• Read that Advocacy Toolkit -Use this Advocacy Toolkit to find more information about the NC crushed-for-drug Snap ban and to get a shared one-pager.

• Distribute the word Social media toolkit -Use the examples of social media contributions and graphics in this toolkit to sharpen the problem.