Reentry resources in North Dakota - what you need to do and where to go after prison

QUICK FACTS BAR

State DOC: North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (NDDOCR)

Parole Board: North Dakota Parole Board

Medicaid expansion: YES (full expansion - 2014)

Voting rights: Restored after completing FULL sentence including parole and probation - no early restoration

SNAP drug felony ban: Full opt-out - no ban regardless of conviction

Expungement: Available - North Dakota has a functional expungement framework; misdemeanors and some felonies eligible after waiting periods; petition-based; among the better Northern Plains frameworks

Ban the box: Public employers (state government) - limited; no statewide private employer law; Fargo has a local ordinance

INTRO

North Dakota is a small state by population - around 780,000 people - with a correspondingly small incarcerated population and a modest but functional reentry infrastructure. The state expanded Medicaid in 2014 and has fully opted out of the SNAP drug felony ban. The expungement framework, while not the most generous in the country, provides petition-based relief for misdemeanors and some felony categories. Voting rights restore after completing all supervision. The reentry service infrastructure is concentrated in Fargo (Cass County) - by far the largest city - with secondary resources in Bismarck (Burleigh County, the state capital) and Grand Forks (Grand Forks County). Minot (Ward County) and Williston (Williams County - the oil patch) have limited resources. Rural North Dakota is essentially without organized reentry services. The oil patch counties in the west (Williams, McKenzie, Mountrail) have created economic opportunity that can benefit returning citizens but also significant social instability.

FIRST 30 DAYS CHECKLIST

Day 1-3:

Report to your North Dakota Parole Board officer or NDDOCR probation officer as directed. NDDOCR's Division of Field Services administers supervision. Report on the scheduled date.

Day 1-7:

Obtain your North Dakota state ID or driver's license. North Dakota DOT - dot.nd.gov/divisions/driverslicense. NDDOCR provides a state ID to qualifying individuals at release. Bring: birth certificate or NDDOCR ID, Social Security card, and proof of North Dakota residency.

Day 1-14:

Apply for North Dakota Medicaid (Medicaid and CHIP). Most low-income adults qualify. Apply at nd.gov/dhs/services/medicalserv or call 1-800-755-2604.

Day 1-14:

Apply for SNAP (North Dakota Food Stamp Program). North Dakota has fully opted out of the federal drug felony ban - everyone meeting income and residency requirements qualifies. Apply at nd.gov/dhs or your local Department of Human Services county office.

Day 1-30:

Determine your full supervision end date. North Dakota voting rights restore only after completing all parole and probation.

ID RESTORATION

Birth certificate:

North Dakota Department of Health Vital Records - health.nd.gov/vital-records. Cost: $15 per copy. NDDOCR assists with pre-release birth certificate requests - confirm with case manager.

Social Security card:

SSA.gov/ssnumber. Free. Locate nearest office at ssa.gov/locator.

State ID / Driver's License:

North Dakota DOT - dot.nd.gov. NDDOCR provides state IDs at release for qualifying individuals. Bring proof of identity, Social Security number, and North Dakota residency. Cost: $15 for ID card.

ID Assistance Programs:

Legal Services of North Dakota (legalservicesnd.org) statewide. Fargo-Moorhead area legal aid through Legal Assistance of North Dakota.

VOTING RIGHTS

North Dakota restores voting rights after completing the full sentence including all parole and probation. Rights restore automatically upon full discharge - no application required.

North Dakota has no voter registration requirement - North Dakota is the only state in the country without voter registration. To vote, you simply present proof of North Dakota residency at the polling place. Eligible individuals can vote immediately upon completing their sentence.

Note: this no-registration requirement makes voting in North Dakota simpler than any other state for returning citizens - there is no registration process to navigate.

BENEFITS ACCESS

NORTH DAKOTA MEDICAID:

North Dakota fully expanded Medicaid in 2014. Most low-income adults at or below 138% of the federal poverty level qualify. Apply at nd.gov/dhs/services/medicalserv or call 1-800-755-2604. NDDOCR has pre-release Medicaid enrollment efforts - confirm with case manager.

SNAP (North Dakota Food Stamp Program):

North Dakota has fully opted out of the federal drug felony ban on SNAP. Everyone meeting income and North Dakota residency requirements qualifies. Apply at nd.gov/dhs or your local DHS county office.

TANF (North Dakota TANF):

North Dakota has fully opted out of the TANF drug felony ban. Eligible families are not excluded based on drug felony history.

Housing:

North Dakota does not have a single statewide reentry housing program. Federal RRCs serve federal inmates under BOP RRM Denver (covers ND, CO, MT, WY, UT, SD). State-supervised reentry housing is through NDDOCR-contracted facilities and nonprofit providers. Fargo has the most developed reentry housing network. Bismarck and Grand Forks have secondary options. Rural North Dakota and the oil patch counties have very limited options.

EXPUNGEMENT AND RECORD RELIEF

North Dakota expungement (North Dakota Century Code 12-60.1):

North Dakota's expungement framework, enacted in 2019 and expanded since, provides petition-based relief for misdemeanors and some felony categories.

What is eligible:

- Arrests without conviction: eligible immediately after dismissal or acquittal

- Class B misdemeanor convictions: eligible 3 years from conviction or release from incarceration (whichever is later) with no new convictions

- Class A misdemeanor convictions: eligible 5 years from conviction or release

- Class C felony convictions (North Dakota's lowest): eligible 5 years from conviction or release with no new convictions

- Class B felony convictions: eligible 10 years with no new convictions

- Class A and AA felony convictions (most serious): not eligible

What CANNOT be expunged: Class A and AA felony convictions, sex offenses, and offenses involving domestic violence in some circumstances.

Effect: An expunged North Dakota record is sealed from public access. The person can deny the offense for most purposes. Law enforcement retains access.

Legal resources:

- Legal Services of North Dakota: legalservicesnd.org / 1-800-634-5263 - statewide

- North Dakota Courts self-help: ndcourts.gov/legal-self-help

EMPLOYMENT AND LICENSING

Ban the box:

North Dakota enacted ban-the-box for state government employment. Private employers have no statewide restriction.

Fargo enacted a local ban-the-box ordinance for city employment.

Occupational licensing:

North Dakota has enacted some licensing reform. Some licensing boards now conduct individualized assessments. The North Dakota Department of Labor oversees some state employment matters.

Employment assistance:

- Job Service North Dakota: jobsnd.com - statewide workforce development with offices in Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot, and other cities

- NDDOCR Employment Services: through NDDOCR Field Services division

KEY NORTH DAKOTA REENTRY ORGANIZATIONS

Southeast Human Service Center (SEHSC)

nd.gov/dhs/locations/regionalhsc/sehsc / (701) 298-4500 / Fargo

State-operated human service center providing behavioral health, substance abuse treatment, and social services including reentry support in the Fargo area.

Community Violence Intervention Center (CVIC)

cviconline.org / (701) 235-7335 / Fargo

Domestic violence and sexual assault services in Fargo - also provides some reentry support for women.

Bismarck Homeless Coalition

bismarcknd.gov - connect through city services for Bismarck-area reentry housing navigation.

Legal Services of North Dakota

legalservicesnd.org / 1-800-634-5263 / Multiple offices statewide

Free civil legal services statewide including expungement, housing, and reentry legal needs.

NDDOCR Division of Field Services

nd.gov/docr/adult

Official NDDOCR reentry coordination. Pre-release planning, parole transition, and community resource connections.

STATE DOC REENTRY PROGRAMS

NDDOCR Reentry:

NDDOCR operates pre-release programming at the State Penitentiary (Bismarck) and other facilities including vocational training, education, substance abuse treatment, and case management.

Vocational and Education Programs:

NDDOCR provides vocational training, GED preparation, and some college programming through partnerships with North Dakota University System institutions.

HALFWAY HOUSES LINK BLOCK

Find halfway houses and reentry housing in North Dakota ->

inmateaid.com/halfway-houses/north-dakota/

North Dakota has federal Residential Reentry Centers under BOP Residential Reentry Management Denver (covers ND, CO, MT, WY, UT, SD). State-supervised reentry housing is through NDDOCR-contracted facilities and nonprofit providers. Fargo (Cass County) has the most developed network. Bismarck (Burleigh County) and Grand Forks (Grand Forks County) have secondary options.