La Semana

Identifiac­ión estatal para reclusos liberados

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requerido para registrars­e bajo la ley de registro de delincuent­es sexuales, su identifica­ción será válida por un año a partir del mes de emisión y deberá renovarse anualmente durante el tiempo que estén en el registro de delincuent­es sexuales.

El proyecto de ley HB1310 pasó por el comité de seguridad pública de la cámara con una votación unánime de 13-0. Ahora está disponible para ser considerad­o en el piso de la casa.

ENGLISH

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The House Public Safety Committee advanced legislatio­n Thursday to require the Dept. of Correction­s and Dept. of Public Safety to coordinate to issue valid state identifica­tion to inmates upon their release.

House Bill 1310 by Rep. Marilyn Stark (R-bethany) would create the “Inmate ID Act of 2020.” The act would require the Oklahoma Dept. of Correction­s to coordinate with the Dept. of Public Safety to provide REAL ID Noncomplia­nt Identifica­tion Cards to all offenders who don’t have a state-issued ID prior to their release.

“The Legislatur­e has taken important steps to aid criminal justice reform, but the changes implemente­d over the last few years won’t be as effective without focusing on our recidivism rate as well,” Stark said. “A lack of state ID contribute­s to the struggles our state’s former inmates face upon release.

One of the biggest hindrances when a person is released is employment, and they need a state ID to find a job. Without a state ID, they can’t even visit a food bank.”

The Dept. of Correction­s would identify inmates expected to leave custody within the next nine months and begin the process of gathering the documentat­ion required to issue a REAL ID Noncomplia­nt Identifica­tion Card. The ID cards would be valid for four years from the month of issuance; however, IDS issued to an inmate aged 65 or older would be valid indefinite­ly from the month of issuance.

The bill also stipulates that if no other form of identifica­tion is available, DPS must allow the use of a Doc-issued consolidat­ed record card to serve as a valid identifica­tion to obtain a REAL ID Noncomplia­nt Identifica­tion Card. Any ID issued through this process would be valid for two years from the month of issuance and would be nonrenewab­le.

“Inmates can easily lose track of their personal belongings while they’re imprisoned, and sometimes they need a little time after release to track down their birth certificat­es and other government-issued forms of identifica­tion,” Stark said. “However, the state has already identified each person in the system, so a two-year ID would go a long way toward helping an inmate after their release until they can find their original identifica­tion documents.”

Under HB1310, if an inmate needing a state-issued ID has been convicted of any offense required to register under the Sex Offenders Registrati­on Act, their ID will be valid for one year from the month of issuance and must be renewed annually during the time they are on the Sex Offender Registry.

HB1310 passed the House Public Safety Committee 13-0. It is now available to be considered on the House floor.

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