Thousands of inmates leave prison every year without identification — a necessity for getting back into society. Now a bipartisan proposal in Congress seeks to ensure that federal inmates are given a valid, accepted form of identification when they finish their sentence and leave prison. 

The proposal is part of an effort to help former inmates get a job, obtain housing and rejoin their community. 

From 2018 to 2021 , 52% of inmates left prison with at least one form of ID, but 37% were released with no ID, and the Bureau of Prisons didn’t know regarding the other 11%. Leaving without an ID means the individuals have no birth certificate, no Social Security card or no state ID. 

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in both the House and Senate introduced a bill that would require the Bureau of Prisons to make sure American citizens leave federal prison with an ID that’s valid for at least 18 months and meets the requirements of the Real ID Act. That will ensure that the ID will be accepted by all federal agencies for programs including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, Veterans Affairs and more. 

In addition, if the bill is passed, the director of the Bureau of Prisons will have to negotiate with all 50 states to make sure the federal ID can be traded for a state ID like a drivers license.