Prisoner Child Support - Broke But Not Deadbeat
by Dana Reichert, National Conference of State Legislatures
As many as 70 percent of low-income dads have had contact with the justice system, and the majority of incarcerated men are fathers. This presents an interesting dilemma because in most states, fathers continue to accrue arrearages while they are locked up, despite the obvious fact that they have no resources to pay support. When released, they may have satisfied their debt to society, but are met with a new debt because of child support arrears.
Research has shown that a job and a strong family connection are the two most important elements than an individual needs to keep from returning to jail. There are few available support systems to help these men re-enter society by finding jobs, and even fewer that assist them with rebuilding relationships that have suffered or ceased while they were incarcerated. While in jail, it is very difficult for fathers to keep in contact with families. The nature of some men's convictions warrant that they do not have contact with their children, but for most, this is not the case.
A handful of states-including Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Massachusetts-have developed programs designed to serve fathers while they are in jail or upon their release to strengthen their role as fathers and to help link them to employment.
...in most states, fathers continue to accrue arrearages while they are locked up, despite the obvious fact that they have no resources to pay support.
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In Massachusetts, parolees can enroll in a program designed to teach them about how to foster relationships with their children and the mothers of their children. Dads can obtain some job training through the Inner-city job Training Program sponsored by Polaroid. There are 102 program locations, five of which are offered in partnership with churches. The program is run by probation officials and requires attendance at 12 weekly group sessions. The sessions require participants to live by the program's five principles of fatherhood and to report to the group what actions they took during the week to meet these goals. Topics in the weekly sessions include, self-esteem building, affection and guidance, financial support, respect and living a substance-free lifestyle.
Fathers must make a commitment to stay substance-free and provide love and encouragement to themselves and their children. Participants who complete the program can earn a reduction in fines and court costs, and some may have probation reduced.
The Colorado Department of Corrections operates a reemployment program for inmates who are being released from jail. The program attempts to provide individuals with basic job so they can get jobs once released, and provides referrals to support networks that can help fathers work with child support enforcement and establish family linkages. New Mexico targets its services to teen fathers by providing conflict resolution, contraceptive information and basic job skills services.
Florida helps inmates with literacy skills by teaching them how to read books and write letters to their children. Dads make tape recordings of themselves reading stories that are sent to their children. 'These people are going to go back into society. We have two choices: we can help them to establish relationships with their families, or we can do nothing and see them end up back in jail,' asserts Buddy Whitman, director of the Florida Commission on Responsible Fatherhood.
This article was previously published as 'Chapter 7, Dads Behind Bars' in Broke But Not Deadbeat: Reconnecting Low-Income Fathers and Children by Dana Reichert, National Conference of State Legislatures, www.calib.com/peerta/pdf/broken.pdf (This file take a while to download.)
Resources on Child Support
Center for Policy Research
1570 Emerson St.
Denver, CO 80218
303-837-1555
fax 303-837-1557
cntrpolres@qwest.net
National Child Support Enforcement Association
444 North Capitol Street, Suite 414 | Washington, DC 20001-1512
202/624-8180, 202/624-8828, www.ncsea.org/ncsea@sso.org
National Conference of State Legislatures
1560 Broadway, Suite 700
Denver, Colorado 80202
(303) 830-2200
Incarcerated Fathers Library pamphlets may be downloaded without charge from the Family and Corrections Network (FCN) web site, www.fcnetwork.org. Duplication is permitted and encouraged, so long as the materials are not altered or sold.
A printed set of the ten pamphlets can be ordered for $6.00, shipping included, from FCN at the address below. Ask for FCN REPORT #31 - The Incarcerated Fathers Library. Sorry, FCN is not budgeted to mail free copies.
Send comments to The Incarcerated Fathers Library at FCN, 32 Oak Grove Road, Palmyra, VA 22963, 434/589-3036, 434/589-6520 Fax, fcn@fcnetwork.org.
Copyright Family and Corrections Network, 2002.
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