Issuance of Driver Licenses and Identification Cards to Prisoners

摘要

In 2009, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2489, requiring the Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle (DMV) Services Division and the Department of Corrections (DOC) to enter into agreements and adopt rules to assist offenders in obtaining a driver license or identification (ID) card prior to release from prison. To assist in this effort, a research project was initiated to investigate issuance alternatives and study program feasibility. As part of the research, various issuance agencies in other states were contacted to determine if they had or have a program for helping inmates obtain a license or ID card. Additional information was gathered from agencies with programs and a list of issuance alternatives was developed. The alternatives selected for a more detailed assessment included: mobile units, operation of a DMV field office within a DOC facility, using DOC personnel to process applications, and transporting inmates to DMV field offices. Each of these alternatives was assessed based on information obtained from other state agencies utilizing similar structures, data from the Oregon DMV and DOC, and data generated from a pilot test of inmate transportation conducted in Oregon. Each alternative was assessed using multiple criteria, including security, costs, personnel requirements, and system capacity, which are summarized in this report.