LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker says giving inmates driver’s licenses or other state-issued photo ID cards before they’re released will help former prisoners reintegrate into society.

Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln told a legislative committee Thursday that recently released inmates often have trouble obtaining ID cards after they leave prison. He says they need IDs to find housing, start working, open a bank account and apply for benefits.

Prison volunteer Fran Kaye says she often helps inmates preparing for release apply for driver’s licenses. She says it would be much easier if the Department of Corrections handles the process.

Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System Doug Koebernick says the Department has begun working on how to provide IDs already and that Hansen’s legislation was “good public policy.”