US Government Asks States to Make It Easier for Convicted Criminals to Obtain State IDs

The U.S. Justice Department recently released a letter that asks state governors to change policies on granting state-issued IDs to federal inmates who’ve served their sentences and are headed back to their local communities. The federal criminal investigation and enforcement agency is calling on governors to make it easier for convicted felons to obtain state IDs by allowing them to exchange their prisoner identification cards for state-issued identification cards.
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch issued a statement strongly supporting the measure because convicted felons who have been released from prison already face significant hurdles when it comes to securing employment and housing opportunities. Without an accepted form of identification, said Lynch, it can be almost impossible for these individuals to re-enter society because they won’t be able to get a job, rent an apartment or open a bank account.
Lynch noted that allowing convicted felons to more easily acquire necessary forms of identification would send a strong message “that they are welcome back into society, that their government is invested in their success, and that they can now – quite literally – exchange their old identity as a federal inmate for a fresh start.”
Another step taken by the Obama Administration to make it easier for released convicts to adapt themselves to society is the creation of a federal re-entry council. The council is tasked with formulating strategies for minimizing the barriers facing by individuals after they leave prison.
The US Justice Department also plans to conduct detailed reviews of halfway houses. This has been deemed vital because approximately 80 percent of federal prisoners begin their re-entry into society by living in a halfway home immediately upon being released from prison.
Beyond that, the Justice Department will take a look at various education programs and job training programs that are made available to inmates so that the inmates are better prepared for re-entry into society after completing their sentences.
The goal of all of these measures is to make sure that a person who has been convicted of a crime does not have to live with the consequences of one bad decision for the rest of their lives.
For additional information, read the Yahoo.com article, “US to States: Make It Easier for Ex-Prisoners to Obtain IDs.”
 
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