Can you imagine not being able to provide simple identification to prove who you are?

That happens all-too frequently for Journey to New Life clients. They come out of prison after serving their time, and they no longer have a birth certificate, valid driver’s license, state-issued ID or Social Security card. They have to reestablish their identity before they can even begin to look for work or housing. It’s a significant barrier to successful reentry.

Fortunately, Journey to New Life volunteer Frank Clifford is there to help. The organization serves walk-in clients on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and he says they’re seeing more than a couple dozen clients each week who have no personal identification to prove who they are.

The process to reacquire these documents that are so imperative to daily life can be cumbersome and sometimes take time that can delay — or worse yet, derail — a client’s journey to self-sufficiency and sustainability. They need time, assistance and support to work through the process.

“A ninety-day runway is perfect,” Frank said. “If they can get their IDs, get a job with a couple paychecks to validate their employment, and then we can work with them on housing. Sixty, to a minimum of ninety, days is basically the runway they need if they’re starting from scratch.”

Frank knows how daunting it can be gathering all the necessary proof, filing the paperwork and waiting. He also knows how a “No,” can result in a real setback. “They come in, and they’re just dejected because they’ve done their darndest to try to do what they were supposed to do, but they couldn’t get the ID,” Frank said. “The deck is just stacked against them.”

Frank has some advice for individuals being released from prison and their families. He says these tips can make a big difference:

• Don’t discard the prison ID. “When they get out of prison, they decide they’re done with prison, and they get rid of their prison ID. That’s not good,” he said. “They need that ID because that’s going to help them get the necessary IDs they need back in society.”
• Families should hold onto important documentation for safekeeping. “Whenever they go in, if they give all their records to a family member or a friend to keep for them, that would be great,” he said.
• Start the process while incarcerated. “If they have family members, they can start the process,” he said. “Have the family help them with starting to get their IDs.”
• And lastly, be assertive. “I think sometimes you just need to be assertive to get past the first gate,” he said. “If the first gate didn’t open for you, push it up the ladder with a supervisor.”

Thanks to volunteers like Frank, who retired from Sprint and Embarq after a 20-year stint in strategic sourcing, Journey to New Life is able to help clients regain their personal identity. He says he didn’t have any experience with prison ministry, but he knew Sister Rose.

The fact is that I knew Sister Rose, one of the founders, and I told her I had no idea this was what I was going to do when I retired, but I knew that I was going to go and volunteer and do service work. That was my whole intent.

— Frank Clifford, Journey to New Life volunteer

Journey to New Life — and our clients — are so fortunate that Frank’s journey brought him here. He’s always willing to go and be an advocate to help clients get the identification they need to take the next steps toward successful reentry.

If you’re interested in making a donation or volunteering, get in touch today.