Felons can get their right to bear arms back

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Under federal law, those convicted of a felony are forbidden from purchasing or possessing firearms and explosives. Yet as the result of a 1965 amendment to the Federal Firearms Act of 1938, convicted felons were allowed to apply to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) for "relief" from the "disability" of not being able to buy and possess guns. The "relief from disability" program was established as a favor to firearms manufacturer Winchester, then a division of Olin Mathieson Corporation.1 In 1962 Olin Mathieson pleaded guilty to felony counts stemming from a kickback scheme involving Vietnamese and Cambodian pharmaceutical importers. Under the law as it existed at the time, Winchester could no longer be licensed as a firearm manufacturer. The "relief from disability" program allowed Winchester to stay in business.+
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In the 10-year period from1982 until 1992, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms processed more than 22,000 applications. Between 1985 and 1990 ATF granted "relief" in approximately one third of those cases. (ATF estimated that approximately one third of those not granted "relief" chose to drop out of the process, while the remaining one third were denied "relief.")

The crimes committed by those individuals granted "relief" were not limited to non-violent, "white collar" crimes
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In 1992, after the Violence Policy Center publicized the details of the program, Congress added language to ATF's annual appropriations bill prohibiting the agency from using federal funds to review "relief" applications from felons (such spending prohibitions must be renewed every year). The NRA opposed efforts to close down the program, testifying before Congress in support of it and defending the program in the press. "There is no reason why a person who has demonstrated they are now a good citizen should be deprived of their right to own a firearm....We ought to recognize that some people can change," the NRA told the Washington Post in 1991. The congressional funding bar, however, is far from the end of the story of the "relief from disability" program. The gun lobby has made several attempts, and resorted to outrageous means to revive this guns-for-felons program.

src : http://www.vpc.org/studies/felons.htm

The article states that only 69 of the near 7400 people granted 'relief' in the time frame listed re-offended. ( less than 1% )

Then in 1992 the program was defunded. So, from what I've read it seems the program is still there and felons can still apply for said relief, but they're being cock blocked by budget limitations of the ATF preventing the ATF from reviewing their claim and giving any rights back.

 

[Doppel]

Non-violent felons. Makes sense.

 

[Ausm]

Wouldn't the application fall into the abyss , since there really isn't anyone running the ATF for the last 6 or so years?

 

[klinc]

This should take care of that strike 2 and 3 possession of a concealed or illegal firearm IMO