JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK APPLAUDS GOVERNOR STITT FOR SIGNING THE SARAH STITT ACT INTO LAW
New Law Will Help Formerly Incarcerated People Find Stable Housing, Rejoin the Workforce
Requires DOC & DPS to Provide REAL ID Cards, Other Crucial Documents to Incarcerated People Upon Their Release
(Washington, D.C.) – Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt today signed House Bill 1679, known as “The Sarah Stitt Act,” into law. The bipartisan legislation will equip formerly incarcerated people with crucial state documentation that will help them find employment and stable housing upon reentry.
The bill requires the Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to provide REAL ID cards to any individual who doesn’t have a state-issued ID card or driver license upon their release, and requires the DOC to provide the following documents to each person leaving custody:
A copy of the person’s vocational training record, if applicable;
A copy of the work record of the person, if applicable;
A Social Security card or replacement Social Security card, if obtainable;
A resume that includes any trade learned by the person and the proficiency at that trade by the person, and;
Documentation that the person has completed a practice job interview before release.
Championed by First Lady Sarah Stitt and Reps. Marilyn Stark, R-Bethany, and Brian Hill, R-Mustang in the House; and by Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore in the Senate, the bill passed unanimously in both chambers. It will go into effect on November 1, 2021.
In response to Governor Stitt signing this critical piece of legislation into law, Lauren Krisai, Senior Policy Analyst at Justice Action Network, issued the following statement:
“People who are reentering society face so many challenges finding stable employment and housing, and the difficulty of obtaining an ID or Social Security card can be a major stumbling block. This legislation signed into law today by Governor Kevin Stitt, and championed by First Lady Sarah Stitt, will make an enormous difference in the lives of people who are trying to get back on their feet.
We’re grateful to members of the Oklahoma House and Senate who voted unanimously in favor of this critical legislation, and particularly Representative Marilyn Stark, Representative Brian Hill, and Senator Darrell Weaver who shepherded the bill through both chambers. This law will help countless Oklahomans stay on track, find employment and housing, and safely rejoin our communities.”