Reentry organizations continue to fill in the gaps to help people get IDs and other documents they need to start work and find housing after prison. Advocates and formerly incarcerated individuals say they re concerned for people who don t find someone to guide them in navigating the bureaucratic red tape.
Felton eventually stumbled upon the Here to Help Foundation, which connected him to a Secretary of State employee. That staffer helped him sort out which documents he needed to get his ID, and Felton said she texted him before his appointments. He now has his driver s license and is enrolled in training to get his Commercial Driver License, but the road getting here was rocky.
People leaving prison in Michigan still face hurdles to getting an ID Angie Jackson, Detroit Free Press
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When Andre Felton left prison last May after nearly 40 years incarcerated, the only document he had to prove his identity was his Michigan Department of Corrections ID card.
Felton didn t have a government-issued ID, a birth certificate or a Social Security card and his prison ID didn t get him far on the outside. He made several trips to a Secretary of State branch to get an ID but hit roadblocks. Without these documents, the 59-year-old said he lost out on three jobs. He struggled to find a place to rent. He couldn t open a bank account.