Identification and Benefits After Prison in Illinois

Illinois has built one of the most comprehensive pre-release reentry systems in the country. By the time you walk out, your state ID should already be processed, your SNAP benefits should already be in motion, and your Medicaid coverage should be active or in process. None of this happens automatically -- but every piece of the system is in place to make it happen if you and your case manager use it.

Here is what Illinois has built and what you need to do.

Your State ID: SB 2803

Governor Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2803 on August 6, 2024. Under this law, the Illinois Secretary of State issues a free standard Illinois ID card to people leaving:

The Illinois Department of Corrections. The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. A Federal Bureau of Prisons facility located in Illinois. A county jail.

The law eliminates the requirement to provide a physical Social Security card as part of the ID application. Your Social Security number on file is sufficient -- you do not need the card in hand to get the ID. A secure electronic transfer process between correctional facilities and the Secretary of State's office transmits the required information. The ID is ready before your release.

Ask your case manager or Re-Entry Unit contact specifically whether your SB 2803 ID application has been submitted to the Secretary of State. If your release is within the planning window and this has not been initiated, request it immediately.

The IDOC Re-Entry Unit

The Illinois Department of Corrections established its Re-Entry Unit in January 2020 as part of the Programs and Support Services Division. The Re-Entry Unit operates at every IDOC facility through dedicated Re-Entry Resource Rooms and focuses on:

Vital document obtainment -- birth certificate, Social Security card, state ID. Medicaid and SNAP enrollment before release. Transitional housing connections. Employment readiness. Partnership with community resources and other state agencies.

Every IDOC facility is required to have a reentry specialist. That specialist is responsible for helping you sign up for healthcare. You should also receive information on Illinois identification cards, voter registration, job listings, and available housing from this office.

Starting January 1, 2024, if you lived before your conviction in a county that has a county jail reentry program, IDOC may transfer you to that county's jail up to 12 months before your release date to participate in the local reentry program. This requires the county sheriff's approval.

Pre-Release SNAP

Illinois fully expanded its pre-release SNAP program statewide in April 2023, after a successful pilot that began at Logan Correctional Center in July 2020. IDOC and the Illinois Department of Human Services collaborated and obtained a USDA Prisoner Pre-Release Waiver to make this possible.

Under this program, your SNAP application can be submitted before your release while you are still inside. Your IDOC facility submits the SNAP application to the IDHS office serving the facility. If approved, your EBT card and benefits are ready when you leave -- you do not have to apply on the street with no food money.

Per IDOC Administrative Directive 04.50.101, SNAP applications are submitted 5 to 10 calendar days before your mandatory supervised release (MSR) or discharge date. Ask your reentry specialist or Re-Entry Unit contact to confirm that your SNAP application has been submitted within this window.

If your SNAP was not submitted pre-release, apply immediately after release through the ABE (Application for Benefits Eligibility) portal at abe.illinois.gov, by phone at 1-800-843-6154, or at your local IDHS office.

Medicaid: Illinois Has an Approved Reentry Waiver

Illinois expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Illinois Medicaid is administered by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS).

Illinois received CMS approval on July 2, 2024 for a Medicaid Section 1115 Reentry Demonstration Waiver. This waiver covers a set of pre-release benefits for eligible incarcerated individuals for up to 90 days before release from a state prison, local jail, or youth correctional facility. For individuals already enrolled in Medicaid before incarceration, Illinois suspends rather than terminates coverage. For those not enrolled, IDOC assists with completing and submitting a Medicaid application before release.

Per IDOC Administrative Directive 04.50.101, Medicaid applications are submitted through the ABE portal 5 to 10 calendar days before your MSR or discharge date, forwarded to the IDHS office serving the facility. Ask your reentry specialist to confirm this has been done.

Illinois also received a CMS Medicaid continuity of care planning grant in 2025, building infrastructure for the January 1, 2026 federal requirement that Medicaid be suspended rather than terminated during incarceration.

After release, manage your Medicaid through the ABE portal at abe.illinois.gov or by calling 1-800-843-6154.

Getting Your Social Security Card

Under SB 2803, you can get your Illinois state ID without a physical Social Security card -- your SSN on file is sufficient. If you need a Social Security card itself (for employment or other purposes), 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.

Ask your reentry specialist whether your facility had a prerelease agreement with SSA, which allows the card replacement process to be initiated up to 90 days before release.

Getting Your Birth Certificate

If you were born in Illinois, request a certified copy from the Illinois Department of Public Health Vital Records office at dph.illinois.gov or by calling (217) 782-6553. Fees are currently $19 per copy.

Your IDOC Re-Entry Unit should have assisted in obtaining your birth certificate as part of the vital documents process. If it has not been done, request it before release. For out-of-state births, contact that state's vital records office.

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.

Illinois Medicaid eligibility and SSI eligibility are linked. If you are applying for SSI, notify IDHS through the ABE portal as well.

Veterans Benefits

If you served in the U.S. military, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provide benefits after release. Contact IDVA at veterans.illinois.gov or the nearest VA facility.

Illinois has VA medical centers in Chicago, Hines, Marion, and North Chicago, and community-based outpatient clinics statewide. 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 -- notify the VA of your release date and bring your DD-214 and release documents.

Additional Illinois Reentry Resources

Illinois Legal Aid Online (illinoislegalaid.org): Comprehensive statewide legal information for people returning from incarceration, organized by topic and region. Free and accessible.

Illinois State Appellate Defender: Publishes a statewide resource guide for returning citizens organized by region. Contact your local public defender office for access.

Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES): Employment services including job search assistance, resume help, and connections to employers with fair chance hiring practices.

Start Before You Leave

Illinois has made pre-release the standard -- not the exception. Your SB 2803 state ID, your SNAP application, your Medicaid application, and your vital documents should all be moving before you leave the facility. Every IDOC facility has a Re-Entry Unit and a reentry specialist required to help you access these things.

Use them. Confirm each item specifically:

Has my SB 2803 ID application been submitted to the Secretary of State? Has my SNAP pre-release application been submitted 5 to 10 days before my release? Has my Medicaid application been submitted through ABE? Has my birth certificate been obtained? Has my Social Security number been verified for the ID application?

On release day, your ID should be ready, your EBT card should be active, and your Medicaid should be in process or active. Illinois has done the work to make this possible. Make sure it has been done for you.