Rep. Barry Moore introduces the Bureau of Prisons Release Card ID Act

Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Barry Moore (AL-01) and Herb Conaway (D-NJ) introduced the BOP (Bureau of Prisons) Release Card ID Act. This legislation will help address a serious and often overlooked barrier to reentry for thousands of Americans released from federal custody each year: lack of valid government identification.

More than half of those released from federal prison do not have a valid government ID, and over 75% lack photo identification all together. This places enormous burdens on individuals trying to reenter society and increases the likelihood of falling back into cycles of crime, addiction, or homelessness. The government ID provided by this legislation is not provided to noncitizens and does not allow citizens who cannot vote due to criminal convictions to vote in our elections.

“Each year, 40,000 individuals are released from federal prison, yet far too many leave without even the most basic tool to restart their lives - a photo ID,” said Moore. “Without identification, these individuals can’t access housing, employment, healthcare, or even basic government services. It’s a recipe for recidivism. My legislation is about giving people a fair shot at rebuilding their lives. If we expect former inmates to stay out of prison, we need to remove unnecessary roadblocks to their success, starting with something as simple and essential as an ID.”

“Every American deserves a chance to rebuild their life after serving their time, including access to basic identification,” said Congressman Conaway. “Without a valid ID, it’s nearly impossible to secure housing, employment, health care, or even a ride home. This legislation is a common-sense step to ensure that Americans leaving federal prison aren’t set up to fail, by giving returning them the tools they need to reintegrate with dignity, access essential services, and contribute to their communities from day one.”

“An identification card is a vital first step that gives people leaving prison a chance to succeed rather than struggle. Prison Fellowship is glad to support the BOP ID Act as a simple, safe, and reasonable way to honor the potential of people who have served their time and are in search of a better life,” said Scott Peyton, Prison Fellowship’s director of government affairs.

To address these issues, the BOP Release Card ID Act would:

• Direct the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to issue an identification document—referred to as a “Release Card”—to all inmates, except those that are non-citizens, upon exiting a Bureau of Prisons facility;
• Provide that the ID shall remain valid for a minimum of 18 months from the date of release;
• Direct the BOP to work with all states to establish a system by which the ID release card can be traded for equivalent state IDs;
• Direct federal agencies to accept the ID release card as satisfying any requirement that a beneficiary prove their identity; and
• Direct the DOJ to create guidance for states to issue release IDs from state penitentiaries.

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