Can OCSE put noncustodial parents in jail if they don pay?
No. OCSE representatives may petition the court and OCSE attorneys may request the respondent be given jail time, but it is a judge’s decision whether to order a jail sentence. Since most noncustodial parents cannot pay support when incarcerated, a judge usually only orders incarceration as a last resort in child support cases. Unfortunately, for some individuals, it is necessary.
