During his State of the State address, Gov. Doug Ducey called on lawmakers to expand the state's Second Chance Centers at prisons and also announced a new ID program to ensure individuals leaving prison have a needed tool to successfully re-enter society. 

In his address, Ducey, whose executive budget will include $450,000 for the expansion of employment center programs at Lewis and Perryville prisons in Maricopa, touted the project's success. According to the state, over 600 inmates have graduated from an employment center with over half finding jobs.

"At Second Chance Centers we launched last year at prisons outside Tucson and Phoenix, we're teaching life and career skills to inmates who are scheduled to leave prison soon," Ducey said in his address. "Dozens of employers are participating, and of the hundreds of inmates who have graduated through these programs to date, many are leaving prison with multiple job prospects. So let's expand these programs, with capacity for 975 more inmates to participate this year."

Ducey also announced a new program that is a joint effort between the Department of Transportation and the Department of Corrections that will help those leaving prison to obtain proper identification.