STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — More inmates exiting New York correctional facilities will be provided with state identification, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday.
The initiative marks an expansion to the state’s ‘Jails to Jobs’ initiative that provides non-driver ID cards to individuals released from Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) custody, and is an effort to get convicts better connected to the outside world.
“Having valid documentation is critical for participating in our workforce, education and health care systems,” Hochul said. “This program will help thousands of New Yorkers who have paid their debt to society get on the right path.”
The state Department of Motor Vehicle leads the ID program, the process for which begins before the inmates are released.
DOCCS staff help the prisoners with gathering the necessary paperwork to apply for an ID and take their photo. They also work with the DMV to help eligible incarcerated individuals renew their driver license.
Hochul’s expansion has made the program available in all 43 state-run correctional facilities, and non-driver ID cards have been provided to more than 700 individuals to date.
The program began in April 2022 at the Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica and the Taconic Correctional Facility and Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, both in Westchester County.
New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Acting Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello commended Hochul for the expansion announced Friday.
“The Department is committed to our mission to enhance public safety by facilitating the successful reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals into their communities, and obtaining a state-issued ID has a significant impact in removing barriers in this process,” he said. “The expansion of this initiative to all New York State correctional facilities is a tremendous milestone.”
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