What is this policy about?
Assembly Bill 2835 will expand the current California ID (Cal-ID) Program to ensure incarcerated adults have access to California IDs or REAL IDs upon release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). It also enables people to take the written test while in custody, to be one step closer to obtaining their driver’s license upon release.
How does it align with yli’s values?
People leaving prison without a valid state-issued identification (ID) card are at a distinct disadvantage to reintegrating into the community. Without an ID, they are unable to apply for employment, housing, or public benefits like Medi-Cal and Cal Fresh. They are also restricted from doing basic but necessary things like cashing checks and filling prescriptions. These barriers to successful reentry increase the chances of recidivism.
We know that a disproportionate number of people who are incarcerated are people of color, so addressing this barrier advances racial equity.
What is yli doing about it?
We have just delivered this letter of support, sponsored by Alliance for Boys and Men of Color and Ella Baker Center, to the California Public Safety Committee. And, we are voicing our support on social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Who else has signed this letter?
- Alliance for Boys and Men of Color
- A New Way of Life
- California Coalition for Women Prisoners
- Our Road Prison Project
- The California State University Project Rebound Consortium
- Safe Return Project
- The Women’s Foundation of California, Women’s Policy Institute
- Youth Justice Coalition