Identification and Benefits After Prison in Connecticut

Connecticut suspended your Medicaid -- it did not terminate it. That distinction matters more than most people realize. When a Connecticut Medicaid enrollee is incarcerated, the Department of Social Services suspends coverage rather than ending it outright, and typically holds that suspension for up to three years before terminating. When you are released, the coverage can be reactivated rather than reapplied for from scratch. That is a faster path back to healthcare than most states offer.

The other thing Connecticut has done is mandate, by law since 2017, that the Department of Correction provide a state ID or driver's license to anyone being released who requests one and qualifies. Monthly transports to MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution run specifically to get non-driver IDs processed through DMV. If you do not have money in your inmate account, DOC pays.

The gaps still exist -- a 2023 legislative review found people still leaving without IDs -- but the infrastructure is there if you use it. Here is what is available and what steps to take.

What CT DOC Provides at Release

The Connecticut Department of Correction Offender Reentry Services Unit (ORSU) has a Reentry Counselor at every facility in the state. Although reentry starts at admission, the intense reentry work begins 18 months before your release date.

Your Reentry Counselor assists with:

Birth certificates -- procurement for Connecticut-born individuals and requests for out-of-state documents. Social Security cards -- assistance obtaining replacement cards. State ID and driver's license -- the DOC is mandated by Connecticut law to provide a state ID or driver's license upon request, for those who qualify. Monthly, up to 30 inmates from a prescheduled facility are transported to MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution to complete DMV non-driver ID paperwork and receive their ID once processed. All DOC facilities are eligible to participate. If you do not have the funds to cover the cost, DOC will pay for duplicate IDs, non-driver ID renewals, and birth certificates.

If you had your personal identification documents secured by DOC at the time of your incarceration, they should be returned to you at release. If more than 30 days have passed since your release and you have not received them, contact the Reentry Services Unit at DOC Central Office: (860) 692-7869. Personal identification is held at Central Office for up to two years.

Important note: Connecticut's 2017 law mandates ID upon request for those who qualify. If your Reentry Counselor has not initiated this process and your release is within 18 months, raise it yourself. Ask specifically about the MacDougall-Walker transport schedule and whether your application has been submitted to DMV.

Getting Your Connecticut State ID After Release

If you release without a Connecticut state ID, apply at any Connecticut DMV office. Find locations at ct.gov/dmv. Standard non-driver ID fee is currently $22.50 for most applicants.

You will need documents establishing your identity, Social Security number, and Connecticut residency. Your DOC release paperwork can serve as a supporting identity document. Bring your birth certificate, Social Security card, and proof of a Connecticut address.

If you are in New Haven, the Elm City Resident ID is a municipal identification card available to all New Haven residents regardless of incarceration history or immigration status. Contact the City of New Haven or Project M.O.R.E. for access information.

Getting Your Social Security Card

If you do not have your Social Security card at release, your Reentry Counselor should have helped you obtain one as part of the 18-month pre-release process. If not, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, apply online at ssa.gov, or visit your nearest SSA office. Replacement cards are free. Bring your state ID and birth certificate.

If your facility had a prerelease agreement with SSA, the card replacement and benefit application process may have been initiated up to 90 days before your release. Confirm with your Reentry Counselor.

Getting Your Birth Certificate

If you were born in Connecticut, request a certified copy from the Connecticut Vital Records office at ct.gov/dph or by calling (860) 509-7700. Fees vary by municipality. Your Reentry Counselor can initiate this request on your behalf while you are still inside.

If you were born in another state, contact that state's vital records office. Your Reentry Counselor can help identify the correct contact and, in some cases, can request and pay for out-of-state documents on your behalf.

HUSKY Health: Medicaid

Connecticut's Medicaid program is called HUSKY Health (formerly HUSKY A, B, C, D). Connecticut expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, making it available to low-income adults regardless of family status or disability.

As noted above, Connecticut DSS suspends rather than terminates Medicaid for incarcerated people -- typically maintaining the suspension for up to three years. When you are released, contact DSS or your local Department of Social Services office to have your HUSKY coverage reactivated. This is faster than a new application.

If you were not enrolled in HUSKY before your incarceration, apply immediately after release. Apply online at connect.ct.gov, by phone at 1-855-805-4325, or in person at your local DSS office. You will need your state ID, Social Security card, and proof of Connecticut residency.

Connecticut has a pending Medicaid Section 1115 Reentry Demonstration Waiver that would allow Medicaid to cover services up to 90 days before release for eligible adults -- those with mental illness, substance use disorders, pregnancy, or intellectual disabilities who are enrolled in or eligible for HUSKY. This waiver was pending CMS decision as of early 2025. Ask your Reentry Counselor or DSS whether this waiver has been approved and whether pre-release enrollment is available at your facility.

SNAP: Food Assistance

Connecticut's SNAP program is administered by the Department of Social Services (DSS). Connecticut does not impose a lifetime ban on SNAP for people with felony drug convictions.

Apply for SNAP at your local DSS office or online at connect.ct.gov. You will need your state ID, Social Security card, and proof of Connecticut residency and income. Benefits are typically issued on an EBT card within 30 days of a completed application. Expedited SNAP for households with urgent need can be issued within 7 days.

Project M.O.R.E. Reentry Welcome Centers (see below) assist with SNAP applications as part of their one-stop reentry services.

SSI and SSDI

SSI (Supplemental Security Income) and SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) are federal programs available if you have a qualifying disability.

SSI payments are suspended after one full calendar month of incarceration. If you were incarcerated for less than 12 consecutive months, SSI can be reinstated the month you are released -- contact SSA immediately. If incarcerated 12 or more consecutive months, file a new application.

SSDI payments are suspended after 30 continuous days of incarceration following conviction. Contact SSA with your release documents for reinstatement.

Your HUSKY Medicaid reactivation and SSI reinstatement should happen together -- notify both DSS and SSA promptly upon release.

Veterans Benefits

If you served in the U.S. military, the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs (CTDVA) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provide benefits after release. Contact CTDVA at ct.gov/ctdva or the nearest VA facility.

The VA Healthcare for Re-Entry Veterans (HCRV) program provides transitional case management for veterans leaving incarceration. VA benefits suspended during incarceration can be reinstated after release -- notify the VA of your release date and bring your DD-214 and release documents.

Your Reentry Counselor can also provide information on veterans services as part of the ORSU reentry process.

Reentry Welcome Centers and Community Resources

Project M.O.R.E. Reentry Welcome Centers operate as one-stop shops for people returning from incarceration throughout Connecticut. Peer Support Specialists assess your needs and connect you to services for identification, housing, SNAP, transportation, medical care, substance use disorder treatment, mental health care, and employment. Centers also provide clothing, computer access, and career resource specialists.

The CT Reentry Collaborative (ctreentry.org) holds roundtables around the state and maintains current information on programs and services available in various communities. Your Reentry Counselor attends these meetings and can connect you to local resources in your receiving community.

211ct.org (or dial 2-1-1) is Connecticut's comprehensive social services resource. After release, you or a family member can call or search online to find food, housing, healthcare, and reentry services near you.

Start Before You Leave

The 18-month pre-release window exists for a reason. Use it. Your Reentry Counselor should be working with you on ID, SSA card, birth certificate, HUSKY reactivation, and community connections well before your release date.

If these processes have not been initiated and you are within 18 months of release, raise them at your next meeting with your Reentry Counselor. Ask specifically: Has my DMV non-driver ID application been submitted or scheduled? Has my birth certificate been requested? Has my HUSKY suspension been flagged for reactivation at release? Has the pending Medicaid reentry waiver been approved and does it apply to me?

On release day: your ID should be in hand, your HUSKY Medicaid should be flagged for immediate reactivation, and a warm handoff to a Reentry Welcome Center should be in place. Contact DSS at 1-855-805-4325 to confirm your HUSKY status the day you are released. Apply for SNAP at your first DSS appointment.

Connecticut's unified correctional system -- all facilities under one state DOC since 1968 -- and its Medicaid suspension policy give you a structural advantage at release. The HUSKY coverage you had before is waiting to be turned back on. The ID process has a path through your Reentry Counselor. Use both.