Gov. Nathan Deal is expected to sign a bill Wednesday lifting the state’s lifetime ban on food stamps for convicted drug offenders after they are released.

The state would opt out of a federal lifetime ban on food stamps for those convicted of a drug-related felony.

The assistance is aimed at keeping felons from returning to prison.

Georgia is among a few states that still have the ban.

The bill is part of broader legislation to reform the state’s criminal justice system. The other measures would allow first-time offenders a chance to seal their court records and overhaul the state’s troubled probation system.

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