Post-release employment; relevant documentation

A. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall provide an inmate who has been housed in a state correctional facility, has been released from a term of imprisonment that resulted from the commission of a felony offense, and who has designated his intended residence within this state with the relevant documentation to assist with the obtaining of post-release employment. B. (1) The department shall coordinate with the office of motor vehicles to do both of the following: (a) Identify whether an inmate has any form of a state identification card or a driver's license and begin the process of gathering the documentation required for the issuance of a special identification card pursuant to R.S. 40:1321 within nine months prior to the release of the inmate. (b) Provide a special identification card to any eligible inmate who does not have a current state identification card or driver's license upon his release from custody. The special identification card shall be issued, replaced, canceled, and denied in the same manner as a driver's license pursuant to Chapter 2 of Title 32 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950. (2) The office of motor vehicles shall do both of the following: (a)(i) Permit an inmate to use a copy of his birth certificate along with his master prison record issued by the department as a valid form of photo identification in order to obtain a special identification card. (ii) For the purposes of this Subsection, "master prison record" means a detailed calculation, maintained by the department, of the prison sentence of an inmate that determines his release date and includes credit for time served, good behavior, and program participation. (b) Determine and assess a reasonable fee for the issuance of a special identification card. (3) A special identification card issued with a master prison record to an inmate is nonrenewable, nontransferable, and is valid for a period of six years from the month of issuance. (4) The department may utilize any available funds, including but not limited to inmate trust funds, existing department funds, and donations to cover the costs associated with the implementation and administration of this Section and the purchase of special identification cards. C. The provisions of this Section apply only to inmates who receive a special identification card pursuant to R.S. 40:1321, who are in the physical custody and control of the department, and who are housed in a state correctional facility. D. For the purposes of assisting an inmate with obtaining post-release employment, the department shall provide an inmate with all of the following: (1) A copy of the educational and vocational training credentials or certifications of the inmate earned during incarceration, if applicable. (2) A copy of the work record of the inmate, if applicable. (3) A copy of the birth certificate of the inmate, if obtainable. (4) A social security card or a replacement social security card of the inmate, if obtainable.