California Identification Cards for County Jail Inmates

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

The DMV ID Program is a collaborative effort developed by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), County of San Diego, and the California State Association of Counties (CSAC). A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was developed to initiate a pilot project in San Diego County. The program is intended to help inmates who have lost or have expired California Driver’s Licenses or Identification Cards to obtain a California Identification Card. Government-issued identification is essential to removing barriers for reentering inmates to access social services, employment, and housing. Approximately 120 days before release, Sheriff’s staff puts together a list of interested inmates and submits that list to the local DMV office. The DMV notifies Sheriff’s staff which inmates are eligible, and Sheriff’s staff assist inmates in completing the DMV forms. When inmates leave the County jail, Sheriff’s staff include the Identification Card among their personal belongings. Since October 2015, when the project was launched, 111 names have been submitted and 65 approved. The initiative was spearheaded by County Supervisor Greg Cox, Sheriff Bill Gore, and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis after advocacy from the local Reentry Roundtable and ACLU. The MOU will serve as a statewide model for future counties interested in the program.