The Michigan Officials Turning Release Day Into a Fresh Start

Sometimes a better government starts with fixing a problem hiding in plain sight. For a long time, people could leave Michigan prisons ready to rebuild their lives but without the basic document needed to do it: an ID. A group of state officials set out to change that.

Today, more than 98 percent of people leaving Michigan prisons have a state ID in hand at release, turning what was once a major barrier to re-entry into a routine part of coming home.

Why It Matters

An ID is needed to get a job, secure housing, open a bank account, pick up prescriptions, and access other basic services. But getting one after incarceration traps people in a bureaucratic loop. You need a birth certificate or Social Security card to get an ID, and you often need an ID or proof of identification to get those.

This administrative maze can be costly to the state, too. A returning citizen without an ID is a worker an employer can’t hire, a taxpayer who can’t fully rejoin the formal economy, someone who faces extra friction just to register and vote, and, too often, someone who ends up back in a prison system that costs Michigan roughly $48,000 per person each year.

By the Numbers

• Since the program was implemented in 2020, over 98 percent of people leaving Michigan prisons have a newly issued state ID at release, the highest rate in the country.
• More than 30,000 people have received IDs through the re-entry program since its inception.
• Annual re-entry ID transactions have increased from roughly 400 to more than 6,000 since 2020.
• Michigan’s recidivism rate has also fallen to 21 percent, the lowest recorded in state history.

The People Behind It

The idea grew out of the Michigan Department of Corrections’ (Michigan Corrections) education and vocational programs. There, staff saw firsthand that without an ID, people struggled to obtain employment or housing. Under Michigan Corrections Director Heidi Washington, that long-held concern became a commitment. She built a team, dedicated resources, and gave staff room to solve cases that did not fit neatly into the normal process.

“For decades, we have known of the importance of vital documents for those leaving prison, but finding a solution proved elusive until we fully committed as an agency to the work and the partnerships necessary to solve this problem,” Washington said.

The team piloted the program in July 2020 and took it statewide that October, in the middle of the pandemic, with facilities isolated and releases disrupted.
Jamie Myers, a vital documents specialist at Michigan Corrections, points to one early decision that shaped the program’s culture: tracking every case from day one. That practice, Myers said, “promotes a mindset focused on problem solving, as we know the results of each case, whether easy or difficult, will be recorded and available for others to view, including departmental leadership.”

Robert McGeorge, a department specialist who helps lead the program, works across a system that now handles thousands of cases each year. Kyle Kaminski, who works on government affairs for the department, has focused on strengthening and codifying the program.

On the other side of the partnership, Michigan Department of State’s (MDOS) chief legal director Khyla Craine worked with Michigan Corrections to connect the two agencies’ processes, with support from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and her office.

How It Works

Michigan’s re-entry ID program success comes from a series of practical fixes that Michigan Corrections drives from the day someone enters custody.

• Default Setting. The program shifted from opt-in to opt-out, so no one has to proactively ask for help.
• Starts at Intake. Staff request birth certificates and prepare Social Security paperwork from day one.
• No Costs to Individuals. Michigan Corrections covers birth certificate and license reinstatement fees through its existing budget, while MDOS covers the standard ID application cost.
• Deliberate Timing. Roughly 90 days out, completed applications are sent electronically to a dedicated MDOS specialist. Issuance is timed as close to release as possible, so the address on the ID reflects exactly where someone is headed.
• On-Site DMV. “Road to Restoration” clinics at correctional facilities allow individuals who are seeking a driver’s license instead of a standard state ID to complete written and road tests on-site.
• No One Falls Through the Cracks. Every two weeks, Michigan Corrections sends MDOS a list of anyone released without completed documentation, and the two agencies work together until the case is closed.

The Return on Investment

• Annual Cost of Program: According to Michigan Corrections, the program costs approximately $800,000 a year.
• How Much Does Incarceration Cost? The state estimates that incarcerating one person costs roughly $48,000 annually, meaning the program pays for itself if it keeps just 17 people from returning to prison.
• Savings Estimate: The Institute for Responsive Government estimates Michigan saves between $5 million and $11 million annually in avoided prison costs, or roughly $6 for every $1 spent. That figure doesn’t count the added tax revenue or economic activity. Preliminary research has also found that people released with valid identification were at least 15 percent less likely to be reincarcerated.

Bottom Line

The work is technical, the coordination is constant, and much of it happens without much public attention. But because of the staff who have poured their hearts into this work, a Michigander can leave prison with a birth certificate, Social Security card, and ID. For someone who has already paid their debt to society, it’s the chance to walk back into their community as a neighbor, an employee, or a parent, ready to start over instead of starting behind.

For more on Michigan’s re-entry ID program, please see our full case study here.