Indiana's approach to reentry starts at the front door. When you arrive at an Indiana correctional facility, you immediately begin building a case plan with unit team staff. That case plan, built from the Indiana Risk Assessment System (IRAS), drives programming and preparation throughout your sentence -- with the explicit goal of preparing you for successful release.
By the time you leave, the Indiana Department of Correction Re-Entry Division and the managed care organizations that run Indiana's Medicaid program should both have been working with you. Here is what that looks like in practice and what you need to do.
What IDOC Provides at Release
Indiana does not have a statute specifically requiring ID assistance, but IDOC has published written policies and procedures governing the provision of photo ID cards to people releasing from Indiana prisons. IDOC case managers work with individuals in the months before release to obtain the documentation required for a state identification card.
Ask your case manager or unit team staff specifically about the ID documentation process and whether your state ID has been initiated. If you are within six months of release and this has not been started, push for it now.
If you release without a state ID, apply at your nearest Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) branch. Find locations at in.gov/bmv. You will need a birth certificate or passport, your Social Security card, and proof of Indiana residency. Indiana BMV branch locations include offices in most Indiana cities and counties.
Getting Your Social Security Card
Indiana IDOC has published procedures for assisting with Social Security card procurement. If your case manager has not initiated this process, ask for it before release.
If you do not have your Social Security card at release, 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.
Getting Your Birth Certificate
If you were born in Indiana, request a certified copy from the Indiana Department of Health Vital Records at in.gov/health/vital-records or by calling (317) 233-2700. Fees are currently $10 per copy.
If you were born in another state, contact that state's vital records office. Your IDOC case manager should be able to help identify the correct contact.
The Healthy Indiana Plan: Medicaid
Indiana expanded Medicaid through the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), a program covering non-disabled adults between the ages of 19 and 64 with income at or below 138% of the federal poverty level. If you meet income requirements after release, you are generally eligible for HIP regardless of your conviction history.
Indiana's Medicaid program is administered by the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and delivered through managed care organizations. Apply for HIP through the state's benefits portal at fssabenefits.in.gov, by calling 1-800-403-0864, or at your local FSSA Division of Family Resources (DFR) office.
Note: Indiana's legislature passed SEA 2 in 2025, which introduced work reporting requirements and structural changes to HIP. These changes require federal CMS approval before taking effect, and legal challenges are ongoing. Check with FSSA or your reentry case manager for the current eligibility requirements at the time of your release, as the program landscape is actively evolving.
Indiana 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. Ask your case manager whether your Medicaid status has been flagged for reinstatement at release or whether you need to apply fresh.
The CareSource Indiana Re-Entry Program
CareSource is one of Indiana's managed care organizations contracted to administer Medicaid. Its Re-Entry Program operates in all 15 state-run Indiana prisons. CareSource Community Justice Liaisons (CJLs) enter the prisons and participate in pre-release curriculum. They connect eligible people with the Healthy Indiana Plan and discuss how to reconnect with CareSource after release.
After release, CareSource members can work with a Life Coach for up to two years. Life Coaches provide individualized support navigating the hierarchy of needs -- housing, food, healthcare, employment -- for people who may not have strong support networks in the community.
If you have been in contact with a CareSource CJL inside, follow through on reconnecting with them after release. If you have not heard from a CJL and you are on or eligible for HIP, ask your case manager about connecting with the CareSource reentry program before you leave.
SNAP: Food Assistance
Indiana's SNAP program is administered by the FSSA Division of Family Resources (DFR). Apply through the state benefits portal at fssabenefits.in.gov, by phone at 1-800-403-0864, or at your local DFR office.
Indiana does not impose a lifetime ban on SNAP for people with felony drug convictions. You are generally eligible to apply immediately after release if you meet income and residency requirements.
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.
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.
Indiana Medicaid and SSI eligibility are connected. If you are applying for SSI, notify FSSA at the same time so your Medicaid enrollment can be confirmed.
Veterans Benefits
If you served in the U.S. military, the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provide benefits after release. Contact IDVA at in.gov/dva or the nearest VA facility.
Indiana has VA medical centers in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and Marion, and community-based outpatient clinics throughout the state. 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.
Community Reentry Resources
WorkOne Centers (workforce.in.gov): Indiana's statewide network of American Job Centers providing job search, career counseling, and training referrals, with WOTC and Federal Bonding coordination.
Dismas House: Transitional housing and support services for men and women leaving incarceration in the Indianapolis area and beyond.
PACE Indy: Indianapolis-based reentry organization providing employment placement and support services.
Volunteers of America Indiana: Transitional housing and peer support statewide.
Indiana Justice Project: Legal advocacy for people navigating the reentry system including Medicaid and HIP access issues.
Start Before You Leave
Indiana's case plan process begins at admission. By the time you are within six months of release, your unit team staff should be actively working on your ID documentation, your HIP/Medicaid application, your housing plan, and your employment connections.
If those conversations have not been happening, initiate them. Ask specifically: Has my state ID documentation been initiated? Has my HIP Medicaid application been submitted or flagged for reinstatement? Has a CareSource CJL been in contact with me about the Re-Entry Program?
On release day: confirm your state ID is in hand. Apply for HIP and SNAP together at fssabenefits.in.gov or your local DFR office -- one visit covers both. Contact SSA for your Social Security card and any benefit reinstatement. Reconnect with your CareSource Life Coach if you have one.
The first two weeks after release carry the highest risk. Indiana's CareSource data shows returning citizens have roughly 12.5 times the normal chance of dying in that window without proper support. Use every connection you have built inside. Use the CJL. Use WorkOne. The infrastructure is there.