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Mississippi’s SB 2561 (2021) was a targeted approach that would create a six-month provisional driver’s license. Mississippi and Oklahoma’s legislation failed to pass but they demonstrate two different approaches to legislation. Additionally, the Department of Corrections is directed to work with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to assist inmates in receiving a non-driver state identification card. Alabama’s HB 2 (2021) requires the Department of Corrections to provide inmates with a social security card and birth certificate. Three states-Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma-considered legislation in 2021 that would provide identification for individuals leaving incarceration, Alabama’s legislation was enacted.
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Most recently, Georgia passed SB 218 (2023) which grants authority for their Department of Corrections and Department of Driver Services, in coordination, to provide a personal identification card to any resident of the state upon completion of their term of incarceration. These allow individuals many privileges in society, but do not include the driving privilege. Nine states-Alabama, Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Texas and Washington-focus on valid state identification cards, sometimes referred to as civil identification cards, non-driver identification cards or just state identification cards. Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada and Wisconsin explicitly provide for drivers’ licenses, allowing those who receive them to immediately drive. Sixteen states focus on providing permanent identification cards to those being released while Utah, New York and Arizona all provide for temporary identification cards. Read MoreĪpproximately 20 states have laws aimed at helping previous offenders get identification either at release or immediately following.
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By 2014, the state interagency partnership became law. For example, according to The National Reentry Resource Center, Florida’s Licensing on Wheels (FLOW) program began traveling to state prisons in 2009 to assist people in obtaining identification cards. These interagency partnerships can then easily become codified by legislators. In these cases, agencies may sign a memorandum of understanding to elaborate on the interagency partnerships necessary. But other states have chosen to provide these services through administrative agencies, such as a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or a Department of Corrections (DOC). The primary focus is on the states that have chosen to provide identification cards upon release through legislation.
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This policy snapshot provides a general overview of state policies about identification upon reentry.
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Valid identification is a pivotal component to acquiring many other elements of reentry that have proven successful at reducing recidivism, such as employment, housing and education. To address this issue, states have adopted a variety of laws to help previous offenders with identification issues when reentering society. Individuals reentering society often face additional barriers when obtaining housing and employment due to difficulties acquiring identification. Each year, more than 600,000 people are released from state and federal prisons and many times these people reentering society do not have the opportunity or means to obtain important identification documents. Without identification, people cannot go to bars, rent an apartment, book a hotel room or buy a car.
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