HB 6875, An Act Concerning the Issuance of a State Identification Card or Motor Vehicle Operator’s License to a Person Being Discharged from a Correctional Facility

The ACLU-CT supports House Bill 6875 as a simple but important means to supporting people incarcerated in Connecticut’s prisons as they return home. Without state issued identification, it is difficult to obtain employment, housing, social services, or other health care services. These are resources that are already extremely difficult for people living with a criminal record to obtain. HB 6875 would provide concrete direction to DOC by ensuring that it creates a simple system to make sure that all people receive access to the proper state issued identification as they leave prison. The onus must be on DOC to affirmatively ask people if they want identification rather than put the burden on people who are incarcerated, and costs to obtain identification must be waived.