Correctional Institutions of State and Counties; consent for the release of certain criminal history, vocational, and educational information for inmates upon release; provide
SB 147 amends Georgia law governing conditions of detention and post-release services for people leaving state correctional facilities. The bill directs the Department of Corrections, with the inmate’s consent and upon request from an eligible person, to provide documentation that can help with reentry and employment, including program history, educational attainment, work history, vocational training records, and other relevant information. It also authorizes the department to coordinate with the Department of Driver Services to issue a state identification card to a releasee who does not already have a current Georgia ID or driver’s license, and it may provide a Program and Treatment Completion Certificate when the person is eligible.
The bill changes Code Section 42-5-64 by expanding the types of records and reentry documents that may be released to inmates upon discharge, and by expressly authorizing issuance of a state ID card and completion certificate in connection with release. It also requires the department, when requested, to help assemble employment-related materials such as a resume, proof of training, birth certificate, Social Security card, job interview documentation, and notice of occupational licensing eligibility. The measure creates exceptions for certain inmates, including those age 65 or older, those in medical reprieve or infirmary discharge situations, those transferred to another jurisdiction, and those deemed unable to return to work, and it authorizes agency rulemaking to implement the law.
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial in the legislative process. It passed the Senate 55-0, the House 163-0, and then the Senate agreed to the House substitute 51-0, indicating unanimous or near-unanimous approval at each stage. The voting history suggests a strong bipartisan consensus around improving reentry support for incarcerated people.
No committee transcript or recorded floor debate is provided, and the unanimous votes indicate little visible opposition. The main policy choices embedded in the bill are the scope of information released, the requirement that releasees consent to disclosure, and the eligibility limits for certain categories of inmates. The only notable carve-outs are for older inmates, medically compromised releasees, people transferred to other jurisdictions, and those the department believes cannot return to work, but the record does not show these provisions were disputed.