rockin'robin
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In a small office deep inside Rikers Island, the New York City jailnotorious for violence and corruption, an inmate dressed in the facility's requisite dark green pants and shirt sits on a metal folding chair trying to figure out how to pay the nearly $80,000 in child support he has accrued over the past 15 years.
He tells Trevor Alexander, a representative from the New York City Human Resources Administration, the agency in charge of managing child support orders, he's never had a steady job and has been in and out of prison since his 17 year old daughter was a year old. Since then, he's been responsible for $166.50 in child support a week -- or roughly $8,600 a year -- though he's barely made a dent in that debt.
"I understand they want their money, but if I'm incarcerated I can't pay," said the inmate, who asked that his name not be used. "I work for the state making pennies."
Related: Costly prison fees are putting inmates deep in debt
In addition tothe myriad other fees and fines inmates can incur, owing child support debt is one of the many ways that being incarcerated can be a financial nightmare. Many inmates are not aware that child support payments can accruewhilethey are behind bars. In fact, those who enter the system with child support debt could come out owing several times the amount they owed going in, either because the unpaid child support adds up or because of court mandated interest.
Outreach specialists like Alexander meet with inmates who are about to be released to inform them of their options, which include mediation with the custodial parent and services that can helplower their debt. The organization, which has been counseling inmates at Rikers since 2008, said it had helped to reduce some $500,000 in child support arrears by October 2015 for inmates at the facility. Citywide, the group said it has helped reduce child support debts by $69 million.
Part of the problem is that in some states, like Georgia and North Dakota, incarceration is considered willful or voluntary unemployment unlike being laid off from a job, which can enable the non-custodial parent to petition for a reduction in child support payments.
*read More*
http://money.cnn.com/2016/06/14/news/economy/inmates-child-support/index.html
He tells Trevor Alexander, a representative from the New York City Human Resources Administration, the agency in charge of managing child support orders, he's never had a steady job and has been in and out of prison since his 17 year old daughter was a year old. Since then, he's been responsible for $166.50 in child support a week -- or roughly $8,600 a year -- though he's barely made a dent in that debt.
"I understand they want their money, but if I'm incarcerated I can't pay," said the inmate, who asked that his name not be used. "I work for the state making pennies."
Related: Costly prison fees are putting inmates deep in debt
In addition tothe myriad other fees and fines inmates can incur, owing child support debt is one of the many ways that being incarcerated can be a financial nightmare. Many inmates are not aware that child support payments can accruewhilethey are behind bars. In fact, those who enter the system with child support debt could come out owing several times the amount they owed going in, either because the unpaid child support adds up or because of court mandated interest.
Outreach specialists like Alexander meet with inmates who are about to be released to inform them of their options, which include mediation with the custodial parent and services that can helplower their debt. The organization, which has been counseling inmates at Rikers since 2008, said it had helped to reduce some $500,000 in child support arrears by October 2015 for inmates at the facility. Citywide, the group said it has helped reduce child support debts by $69 million.
Part of the problem is that in some states, like Georgia and North Dakota, incarceration is considered willful or voluntary unemployment unlike being laid off from a job, which can enable the non-custodial parent to petition for a reduction in child support payments.
*read More*
http://money.cnn.com/2016/06/14/news/economy/inmates-child-support/index.html
