Bill Calls for Free Birth Certificates For Those Leaving Prison

New Yorkers leaving prison would be granted free birth certificates upon request under legislation the City Council is expected to vote on today.

According to one of the bill's sponsors, Council Member Gale Brewer, criminals would be more likely to find honest work if they had legitimate documentation of their identity immediately ready after their release.

"A birth certificate is a ticket to benefits so that people don't fall into new crimes and recidivism," Ms. Brewer said yesterday. "You can't apply for government benefits while in jail, but you can be positioned so you're ready to apply when you get out."

Inmates born in New York State but outside the five boroughs can request a free birth certificate when they leave prison, but those born in New York City have to pay $15 for the same service, a spokesman for the state Department of Correctional Services, Erik Kriss, said.

Advocacy groups such as Phoenix House, a nonprofit organization that treats substance abusers, and ICARE, a religious group that seeks to rehabilitate ex-convicts, have criticized the fee as an unnecessary obstacle in the past.

In June, Deputy Commissioner Lorna Thorpe of the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which issues birth certificates to city residents, objected to the bill, testifying before the City Council that waiving birth certificate fees would be a financial burden.

The department has since withdrawn its objections to the bill, which Ms. Brewer said was revised to address its concerns.