FROM THE DAILY SIGNAL: Do We Need 641 Penalties for Nonviolent Drug Crime After Punishment?  Federal laws and regulations impose more than 600 post-prison restrictions that may be applied to people convicted of “nonviolent drug offenses”, according to a new GAO report. These rules cover individuals convicted of a nonviolent drug offense, defined as any federal drug offense that doesn’t involve the attempted, threatened, or actual use of physical force. The Op/Ed points out that:

 “[T]hose rules cover so many parts of a person’s life—from employment and housing to the constitutional rights to vote and carry a firearm—that if administered arbitrarily, some may needlessly frustrate reintegration into society and encourage a return to crime”

The analysis concludes that:

“It is not in anyone’s best interests to consign ex-offenders to a permanent second-class status. Doing so will only lead to wasted lives, ruined families, and more crime.”