Proposed law would keep inmates from data

WASHINGTON, March 31 (UPI) -- The U.S. Social Security Administration plans to propose legislation to ban prisoners from access to data that could be used for identity theft, officials say.

Most states have laws barring inmates in training or work programs from seeing Social Security numbers and other personal data, The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reports. But eight states, including Kansas, do not.

In Kansas, inmates perform data entry for state and local governments, the courts and non-profit groups. An audit by the Social Security Administration's inspector general reported that in 2009 an inmate tried to steal names and numbers.

"This is like having the fox practice herding chickens," said state Rep. Pat Colloton, R-Leawood and chairwoman of the Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee. "This is a really bad idea."

Prison officials say they don't know of any inmates who have successfully used information obtained in work programs and prisoners are searched before they leave the area.

Social Security officials say inmates could simply memorize numbers. They plan to draft legislation for a national ban.