About the Report The Report, Part II: Review of the Re-Entry Process:

chapters and policy statements:
About the Report of the Re-Entry Council

Policy Statement 24, Research Highlight 1

In most states, individuals are released from prison without any documents that would enable them to obtain a state-issued identification card.

People involved in the prison system often lose their birth certificate and social security card, leaving them with no form of identification upon release. Without such documentation, individuals are commonly released from prison with no way to obtain a state-issued identification (ID) card, as many state departments of motor vehicles (DMVs) do not accept prison documentation as proof of identity. [1]   (According to a 2003 study, only two states - Illinois and Montana - have laws requiring the DMV to exchange a department of corrections - issued ID for state-issued ID, although 20 states' DMVs do accept some form of department of corrections documentation as proof of identity. [2]  )

  1. National H.I.R.E. Network, "Nationwide Survey of Identification Requirements for Newly Released Prisoners," September 2003, available online at www.hirenetwork.org/ID_Survey_Summary.htm. back
  2. Ibid. back
staff