• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
Child Support for Convicts’ Children
Tim Krueger, Cornell Universiy
Courts and Child Support Enforcement Agencies need to combineinformation and take simple steps to ensure that children withincarcerated or recently incarcerated parents get the child supportmoney they deserve.
Aemps o mach Child Suppor Enorcemen Agency records wihincarceraion recordshave only beenmade in seven saes,demonsraing a generallack o collaboraionbeween CSEA agenciesand cour sysems. Thoseseven atemps indicaeha beween 21 and 28percen o inmaes havechild suppor orders inmos saes. Two exensivesudies were published in2002, proling he saeo child suppor andincarceraion in Colorado and Massachusets. While in prison, monhly childsuppor obligaions averaged $227 or noncusodial parens in Massachusetsand $269 or hose in Colorado. Wih average wages o 4 cens per hour whilein prison, hose parens can ypically earn beween $45 and $50 per monhwhile incarceraed; ar less han he amoun hey would need o pay heir childsuppor. I his sysem is designed o bene children or cusodial parens, iis designed poorly.Consequenly, he averageinmae who is a noncusodialparen can be expeced oaccumulae child supporarrears in he range o $6000o $10,000 by he ime he isreleased. Much is also owed ohe sae or “welare ha hadbeen paid o heir children”.Adding $6,254 in ineres and$3128 in lae ees o his igure,prison saddles noncusodialparens in Massachuseswih an average deb o$19,300. In boh Colorado
Key Facts
Inmaes who are noncusodial parens have child
•
suppor obligaions ha average over $200 permonh, bu can only earn abou $50 per monh whilein prison.Inmaes wih child suppor orders can expec o
•
accumulae beween $10,000 and $20,000 o childsuppor arrears by he ime hey are released.In Colorado, which ranks 23rd or prison populaion
•
naionwide, parens wih child suppor deb romhaving been incarceraed owe $212 million o heirchildren and o he sae.
Talking Points
Because incarceraion is considered “volun-
•
ary unemploymen” in mos saes, and is noconsidered sufcien reason o miigae childsuppor orders in 21 saes, a siuaion is cre-aed in which inmaes accumulae subsanialchild suppor deb.This means ha kids don’ ge he money hey
•
deserve, and noncusodial parens emergerom prison wih nancial siuaions ha leavehem ar more predisposed o violae parole.Fahers wih excessive child suppor deb are
•
less likely o make regular child suppor pay-mens, and less likely o spend ime wih heirchildren.
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...