--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the fine print on a food stamp…" description: "\"“In the fine print on a food stamp application, it is made clear that selling SNAP can result in a felony charge. And the penalty can be stiff. The SNA..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/kathryn-edin-25745_fine-print_in-the-fine-print-on-a-food-stamp-applic_2029966.jpg" --- # In the fine print on a food stamp application, it is made… ![“In the fine print on a food stamp application, it is made clear that selling SNAP can result in a felony charge. And the penalty can be stiff. The SNAP application in Illinois (and other states) says that you can “be fined up to $250,000 and put in prison up to 20 years or both” for the offense…” quote by Kathryn Edin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/kathryn-edin-25745_fine-print_in-the-fine-print-on-a-food-stamp-applic_2029966.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/kathryn-edin-25745_fine-print_in-the-fine-print-on-a-food-stamp-applic_2029966.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/kathryn-edin-25745_fine-print_in-the-fine-print-on-a-food-stamp-applic_2029966.jpg) > ““In the fine print on a food stamp application, it is made clear that selling SNAP can result in a felony charge. And the penalty can be stiff. The SNAP application in Illinois (and other states) says that you can “be fined up to $250,000 and put in prison up to 20 years or both” for the offense. One signal of how strongly a society feels about a particular violation of the law is the maximum sentence that can be imposed on offenders. Possession of small amounts of marijuana carries little legal penalty in most jurisdictions for a first-time offense. Under the U.S. federal sentencing guidelines, a person with a “minimal criminal history” would have to commit an offense at base level 37 to earn up to twenty years in prison. By comparison, voluntary manslaughter earns a base level 29, which could result in nine years in prison. Aggravated assault with a firearm that causes bodily injury to the victim merits only a base level 24, which could yield a five-year sentence. Abusive sexual contact with a child under age twelve also merits a base level 24. Astonishingly, at least in terms of the letter of the law, when Jennifer sells her SNAP, she risks a far longer prison term than the one José was subject to for molesting Kaitlin. As”” [Kathryn Edin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-edin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage highlights disproportionate legal penalties for SNAP fraud compared to serious violent crimes, illustrating societal value judgments. **In simple terms:** SNAP fraud punished harsher than many violent offenses. Key Takeaway Recognize and question unequal legal consequences. Themes justice policy social values law inequality penalties Mood critical analytical Type policy legal social justice When to use this quote - policy reform debates - criminal justice education - advocacy work - media analysis - legal counseling Key Concepts sentencing disparity policy critique social justice criminal law public perception Questions to Reflect On - Why are minor economic crimes penalized so severely? - What does this disparity reveal about societal priorities? 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Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“In the beginning, some people try to appear that everything about them is "in black and white," until later their true colors come out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/in-the-beginning-some-people-try-to-appear-that-everything-about-them/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) [Browse all 61 Fine print quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fine-print/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In the fine print on a food stamp application, it is made clear that selling SNAP can result in a felony charge. And the penalty can be stiff. The SNAP application in Illinois (and other states) says that you can “be fined up to $250,000 and put in prison up to 20 years or both” for the offense. One signal of how strongly a society feels about a particular violation of the law is the maximum sentence that can be imposed on offenders. Possession of small amounts of marijuana carries little legal penalty in most jurisdictions for a first-time offense. Under the U.S. federal sentencing guidelines, a person with a “minimal criminal history” would have to commit an offense at base level 37 to earn up to twenty years in prison. By comparison, voluntary manslaughter earns a base level 29, which could result in nine years in prison. Aggravated assault with a firearm that causes bodily injury to the victim merits only a base level 24, which could yield a five-year sentence. Abusive sexual contact with a child under age twelve also merits a base level 24. Astonishingly, at least in terms of the letter of the law, when Jennifer sells her SNAP, she risks a far longer prison term than the one José was subject to for molesting Kaitlin. 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