(File Photo)

You’ve heard of the “Obama phone” — the so-called “free” cell phones given away to people at the expense of taxpayers. Now, the Obama Administration through Attorney General Eric Holder has a new plan: “free” cell phones and bus money. That’s right. Become a convict and get free counseling, phones, training… you name it! This is our government at work!

On Monday, the Department of Justice announced a new program which AG Eric Holder says “will require all 200-plus halfway houses in the federal system to offer standardized treatment to prisoners with mental health and substance abuse issues.” Question… if a prisoner is locked up for years, away from drugs and alcohol, why would they need treatment for substance abuse once they got out?

In addition to those programs, the halfway houses will “have to provide greater assistance to inmates who are pursuing job opportunities, such as permitting cell phones to be used by inmates and providing funds for transportation.” This looks like the case of Obama phone, Part 2:

Here’s what Holder said about the new program:

Once fully implemented, these services will be available to every single one of the approximately 30,000 inmates who are released through halfway houses each year. This will ensure consistency and continuity of care between federal prisons and community-based facilities. And it will enhance the programs that help prisoners overcome their past struggles, get on the right path, and stay out of our criminal justice system.

These important changes and others are codified in BOP’s published requirements for halfway houses – which will be posted online this week. Over the next 30 days, those who operate halfway houses will have the opportunity to provide feedback on these newly proposed requirements. And I encourage members of the public to visit this site, learn about these tools, and make your voices heard as well – so we can all take an active part in constructing the more effective, more efficient, and more just system that everyone in this country deserves.

The DOJ points out that just last year, “more than 30,000 federal inmates passed through a halfway house.” That’s a lot of inmates and a lot of bus fare and cell phones.

What do you think? Should our taxpayer money be spent on programs such as this?

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