Documents come first
No bank account, no lease, no job, no benefits. Nothing else works until this does, and each document requires other documents.
Nothing else works until this does
No bank account, no lease, no job, no benefits.
The problem is circular: each document requires other documents, and you may have none of them. Work out the order before you are standing at a counter.
What to get, and where
- Birth certificate. Order it from the vital records office in your state of birth. Start this from inside if you can — family can request it on your behalf in many states.
- Social Security card. Replacement requires identification. The Social Security Administration has a process for people released from incarceration and your
BOP release paperwork can serve as identification in some circumstances. - State ID or driver's license. The one everything else depends on. Requirements vary by state, and many states now have a specific process for people leaving incarceration. Some facilities will help you start this before release — ask, because most will not offer.
- Your release paperwork. Keep it. It is functionally an identity document during the first weeks and you will be asked for it.
A suspended license
If your license was suspended for unpaid fines or fees, find that out now rather than at the counter. Reinstatement can take months and it blocks employment that requires driving.
Banking and credit
Opening an account is often harder than people expect, and the reason usually is not your conviction.
These pages cover the general rules. Your situation has details they don't. Email me a question. Answers are free, and "you don't need to pay anyone for this" is my most common answer.
I answer in the order received, usually within a couple of days. I have a day job. If your situation genuinely needs more than an email, I take a limited number of consults, so say so and we'll work it out.
Somebody else is counting down to the same door. Pass it on.