Colorado Bill Guarantees Ex-Prisoners ID and $100 Cash for Fresh Start

Sponsored by Democratic Reps. Jamie Jackson and Javier Mabrey, and Sen. Lisa Cutter, the measure aims to reduce recidivism by ensuring “immediate stability” during the critical first three days post-release, when many revert to crime due to lack of resources, advocates say.

Colorado bill would make sure people leaving prison would get $100, ID documents

by Sara Wilson, Colorado Newsline
March 5, 2026

Under a proposed Colorado law, people leaving prison would be entitled to identification documents and $100 in a release allowance, two benefits bill proponents say are not reliably distributed by the state despite existing in state statute.

“We have to equip these people who are returning to our communities to have a fighting chance at success,” said Rep. Jamie Jackson, an Aurora Democrat. “We have to uplift these people and give them the tools to be successful, so that there’s no further victimization of our communities.”

Jackson is sponsoring the bill alongside Rep. Javier Mabrey, a Denver Democrat, and Sen. Lisa Cutter, a Jefferson County Democrat. 

Current Colorado law states that the Department of Corrections may give a “reasonable sum of money not to exceed $100” to people leaving custody and lays out some exceptions. House Bill 26-1256 would make the full allowance a requirement for the approximately 6,000 people who leave prison each year and prohibit any deductions from it, specifically related to restitution, clothing costs and any expenses incurred during the person’s incarceration. 

The bill would also ensure people have transportation home after their release and require the Colorado Department of Corrections to assist people in obtaining the documents they need to get a state-issued identification card. If the person is being released into a metro-area with public transit, they would also be entitled to a transit pass for at least 30 days under the bill. 

“We shouldn’t expect a justice-impacted person returning into society to rebuild their life without the tools — vital documents and a little bit of gate money for stability — to do that successfully,” said John Dapice, an Aurora man who left Sterling Correctional Facility earlier this year. 

The bill would also require public disclosure each year online and to the Legislature during accountability hearings about how many people get gate money and how much they receive.

Advocates say the first three days after a person’s release are some of the most crucial to successful reentry and lowering chance of recidivism, and that gate money can be important for securing needs like food and shelter.

“Whether or not someone can eat the next day often comes down to how much they have immediately upon release,” said Simone Price, the director of organizing for the Center for Employment Opportunities, which is backing the bill. She said there is often confusion among people about why they have money deducted from their release allowance.

“I know there’s been increasing scrutiny on how much we spend on incarceration, but frankly, this is probably the most bare minimum support that does exist,” she said. “Every lawmaker we’ve spoken with so far was very, very surprised that it was not codified and required for absolutely everyone.”

Her organization has led similar legislative efforts in New York and California. 

‘Immediate stability’

A survey conducted last year by CEO found that two-thirds of Colorado respondents reported not getting any gate money when they left prison. Those who did receive money reported an average of $33 and listed deduction reasons such as small debts within the facility, court fees and prior negative account balances. 

Dapice said the ID and full $100 he received gave him “immediate stability” and made him feel supported. 

“Stability after release from prison dramatically reduces panic-driven decisions that lead a lot of justice-impacted people, like myself, back into a negative lifestyle,” he said. “This gives people … a real chance not to go back to the old ways — the drugs, the places, the people, the different negative behaviors that we may be drawn to because it’s easier and convenient.”

Dapice now lives with his parents in Aurora and plans to begin working towards his commercial driver’s license with the support of CEO. He credits his successful transition out of prison to the organization’s help and the immediate access to his documents and ID.

“Without an ID, we can’t work, we can’t rent, we can’t bank, we really can’t even get a phone” he said adding later that “not having those documents would have been a nightmare.” 

In 2024, the state’s Department of Corrections reported that about 74% of people left prison with a form of ID, such as a driver’s license or state ID. By 2025, that number was about 99%. The governor’s budget request for the upcoming fiscal year includes an approximately $1 million line item for “dress-out” costs, which include gate money and transportation.

The department is “currently working with bill sponsors and the Executive Branch to evaluate proposed legislation against our current operational practices,” spokesperson Alondra Gonzalez wrote in an email.

“Under current department policy, individuals being discharged or paroled from a CDOC facility are eligible for a release allowance of $100.00. This ‘monetary consideration for departure’ is intended to assist with immediate needs during the initial reintegration window,” she wrote. “CDOC does not deduct any amount from the $100 allowance, although there are circumstances that may cause a person to be ineligible to receive this allowance.”

That includes people paroled from community corrections or the Intensive Supervision Program and those released to another felony charge.

Nonpartisan state staff have yet to issue an analysis of the bill’s fiscal impact. The bill is set for its first committee hearing March 18. 

Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com.

Current law allows but doesn’t require the payment, with a recent survey showing two-thirds of ex-inmates got nothing and others averaged just $33 after deductions. Proponents, including formerly incarcerated John Dapice, stress that without ID, people can’t work, rent or bank—boosting reentry success and community safety. The bill heads to committee March 18.