An ID Card Goes A Long Way on the Road to Reentry

It’s not so simple, though, if you’ve just been released from prison.

In California, when individuals are paroled from prison, they often have no identification that will help them in their transition back into society.  Those who have served long sentences may have lost their valid identification during their journey through the criminal justice system, or their ID may have become outdated.

The lack of proper identification is a major barrier to successful reintegration.  Without an ID, you often can’t get a job, housing, or apply for public benefits that may be needed to obtain healthcare and medicines.  And, even if you are fortunate enough to find work, the lack of an official state ID can make it impossible to cash paychecks or open a bank account.

Assembly Member Loni Hancock has done something to bridge this gap by introducing AB 639 earlier this year.

AB 639 requires that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in collaboration with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issue state identification cards to individuals upon their release from prison.  Under the bill’s provisions, the DMV will make quarterly visits to prisons and other CDCR facilities to process ID cards for juveniles and adults who are eligible to be released or released on parole within six months.

Sponsored by the ACLU, Coalition for Effective Public Safety, and California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, the bill passed the state Assembly 79–0.  Now, AB 639 is in the state Senate in the Appropriations Committee.  If the committee approves the bill, it will head for a full Senate vote later this summer.

An ID card is a little thing that can go a long way when you’re trying to get your life back on track.  Urge your state Senator to support AB 639.