Lynch: states should make it easier for felons to obtain ID News
Lynch: states should make it easier for felons to obtain ID

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Monday that states should make it easier for convicted felons to obtain state-issued identification cards upon their release from prison. Lynch’s remarks [transcript] were delivered at the start of National Reentry Week, during which the Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] announced [press release] the “Roadmap to Reentry” [text, PDF], the DOJ’s comprehensive vision to reduce recidivism through reentry reforms at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). The principles outlined in the roadmap include individualized reentry plans, education and other programming during incarceration, maintaining relationships with family members, utilizing halfway houses and supervised released programs to ensure continuity, and providing access to resources. Speaking at an event in Philadelphia, Lynch stressed the importance of access to state-issued IDs:

In addition to the efforts described in the Roadmap, I am pleased to tell you that today, I am sending a letter to the governors of each of the 50 states, inviting them to work with the Department of Justice to help citizens return to their states from federal prisons. Specifically, I am asking each state to work with us to allow citizens returning from federal prisons to exchange their federal BOP inmate ID card—and their authenticated release documentation—for a state-issued ID. Or, alternatively, states could accept BOP identification cards and release papers as supporting documentation towards obtaining a state-issued ID. This basic step would have a powerful impact. As a practical matter, it would standardize the current patchwork of state policies around providing returning citizens with identification and it would eliminate one of the most common—and most harmful—barriers to reentry across the United States. But even more important is the message that such a program would send to returning citizens: 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. I cannot imagine a simpler or more profound way for every state to signal their commitment to improving reentry outcomes and I urge every governor in the United States to join me in making this proposal a reality.

National Reentry Week events are planned across the country.

The rights of convicted felons are controversial, and state policies vary. Last week Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe restored the voting rights [JURIST report] of individuals who have completed the terms of incarceration and have been released from supervised probation or parole for any and all felony convictions. The DOJ has also taken other steps toward criminal justice reform. Last month the DOJ urged state court systems [JURIST report] to stop using procedural routines and hefty fines to profit off poor defendants [press release].