Prisons Ask for Alternatives to Jailing Deadbeat Parents

[The Straight Story]

Prisons Ask for Alternatives to Jailing Deadbeat Parents


COLUMBUS, OHIO (AP) -- Prisons officials are asking lawmakers to consider alternatives to putting deadbeat parents behind bars, where they don't earn much money and continue failing to support their children. The 601 men and 24 women sent to prison in 2004 for not paying child support made $12 to $18 a month working prison jobs, while taxpayers paid about $63 a day for each prisoner's shelter, food, clothing and medical care.

"We strongly think each child should receive the support they are due," said Andrea Dean, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. "But we also understand there are going to be some deadbeat dads or parents for whom, if they had an opportunity, an alternative sanction other than prison would be a good option."

About 2.5% of inmates admitted to prisons in 2004 were felony child support cases. Prisons officials want lawmakers to consider work release or other programs that would allow nonviolent child support violators to work under supervision. They say those options could help alleviate crowding and save taxpayers the $23,000 each prisoner costs annually.

Some officials in charge of collecting child support payments say they go through many options before cases are even prosecuted. The Franklin County Child Support Enforcement Agency tries punishments such as suspending drivers' licenses, withholding money from paychecks and seizing bank accounts before filing charges, agency head Anthony Bond said. "We've exhausted every possible administrative and judicial remedy before we do this," he said.

http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=4524861

[Rose Siding]

1. I'd be interested to know if there's been any deterrent effect

That would be relevant.

[noonwitch]

2. Obviously, jailing them long-term is counter productive

If they are in jail, they can't work. If they can't work, they can't pay their support.

On the other hand, I have a friend who's ex owes her thousands of dollars in back child support. He also owes another woman similar amounts of money. He owns a business, owns two or three houses, drives an SUV, takes frequent expensive vacations and hides his money from the court. Sending a guy like him to jail for a couple of month's worth of weekends would probably help him set his priorities in order.

[Dunvegan]

3. If you owe child support, but are out of work, or lower-socioeconomically

...the obvious to help the entire family is to help find the parent who'd paying support find decent work.